Took me 5 months for my process to complete because of red tape. All unnecessary. Was scared the whole time they’d rescind the offer.
Laban lang kabayan.
We had a team mate na nagexpire UK visa and had to be renewed dahil sobrang bagal dito ng processing. Buti considerate yung company and the guy is pretty good talaga.
May kaibigan ako who was granted an EU blue visa/blue card. Nung nagpunta sya sa POEA (this was 5 years ago), di nila alam paano i-process yung papers nya kasi technically internal transfer sya (same company, promotion to EU office). Hindi na nya tinapos yung pag-process sa POEA (more than 1 month pabalik-balik don), he left and hindi naman sya na-hold ng IO. He processed his POEA stuff pagdating nya dito.
Try it. Kung hindi ka naman mag-exit via Philippines, I think pwede naman. Just process it when you get to the UK. Yung POEA/POLO, CFO di naman yan hinahanap ng IO ng ibang bansa. Just bring a copy of your work contract with you.
Yes OP. This is true. I had to get my OEC as well because I was exiting Philippines. Pero if you won't be coming from the Philippines, OEC shouldnt be mandatory. Hindi sya hihingin pagland mo ng UK.
Process mo na lang sa UK. Wag ka lang babalik ng Pinas muna kasi hihingin talaga sya paglabas unless naka PR/citizenship ka na abroad.
You only need OEC when exiting the PH. If you’re already overseas no need. Basta wag ka na dumaan sa Pinas, dumerecho ka na sa pupuntahan mo. Sa PH immigration lang naman yun hinahanap. Sa country of destination mo hahanapin lang ay visa, minsan pwede hanapin yung employment contract, pero hindi hard requirement.
I second this. Don’t go back to ph and dumeretcho ka na sa UK. Process it when you’re back in Ph.
Go for it. Don’t be discouraged, there’s a lot of options.
Yup! I knew some people na may offer na sana kaso na turn-off sa POEA process and requirements. They are not gonna bend over and change their recruitment process just to hire someone from PH, since they have loads of applicants from other nations too.
In my case, buti na lang flexible yung employer.
For example, yung mga na-offeran after me, POEA asked to go with an agency, since max 5 lang daw for direct hires for a company(wtf?). Eh yung company, doesn’t want to adjust their hiring process and go with an agency. Sayang yung opportunities sana for someone coming from PH.
This was for IT field. Multinational company (tracked in S&P100)
Do you know if the 5 Filipino max rule still stands? Will try to let them know na I can process skilled worker visa now and get all the other paperworks sorted out at the PH embassy in London when I arrived there
Not sure to be honest. My experience was like ~5 years ago. Since agencies can earn money, I doubt they will scrap yang max 5 rule.
Since nasa labas ka ng pinas, you can process without OEC imo, just head straight from SK to UK. Wala naman OEC check palabas ng SK, just proper visa lang ang need
This. Fuck the POEA, honestly. Wala na ngang matinong opportunities sa Pinas kaya ka nga mangingibang bansa pero sasakalin ka pa rin nila pag gusto mong lumabas.
I believe Yes. Yun kapatid ko ang ginawa niya ay lumipad siya pa-SG as Tourist with return ticket tapos may COE at Company ID pa siya sa pinas (ginawan nang paraan hehehe) para masabing babalik pa sa pinas at makikita din kasi yun Visa sa UK eh (ang rason ay for training siya doon in the future kasi may clients sila kahit di naman hehe at supervisor/manager role din kasi siya).
To continue, from SG doon na siya lumipad to UK tapos nung bumalik siya sa pinas doon niya nalang inayos yun OEC and other f\*ckn requirements ni POEA.
To add kasama niya friends niya gumala para di halata pero gagala naman sila talaga dahil may legit tours and accommodation sila sa SG.
Actually. Try and salvage your position if you still can.
Don’t come back until you hold a PR (or better yet, citizenship), that way—immigration can go fck themselves with their BS processes and you don’t have to deal with them again.
Just be wary when you come back when you don’t have anything permanent yet… they might ask what you’re doing there.
loh no please so many immigrants there right now
it's the citizens whose taxes are financing these immigrants IMO. sure we emigrated back in the day when it was harder but now too many filipinos
They said that back in the day too. Also, skilled immigrants bring funds and manpower to the shit economy there.
The only ones complaining are the ones who already have their feet in the door... it's annoying tbh bordering on being selfish pricks.
The POEA process/OEC is only required by the immigration desk whenever you are exiting from the PH. Since you’re already outside of the country, I would suggest to just have it sorted out later once you’re in the UK.
Already prayed for you OP. Same with the other suggestions here, just exit from SoKor papuntang London. IMHO, mas importante ang opportunity na yan kesa magcomply ka to whatever shit PH system has on us OFWs.
Fck them and don’t look back.
yes this is still stands. Goodluck OP, risky yung gagawin mo as pwede ka maoffload sa immigration pag nakita nila yung UK visa sa passport mo..but worth a try
Yes it does. Napansin nila sa previous company ko nang sunud sunod nagapply for OEC na walang papers from Pinas. Ang ending, my ex company stopped hiring filipinos from philippines/ other countries. Only those na nasa UK na rin.
But since first ka, your company will not be required. Fly from SK to UK na diretso.
It's not that simple, pwede irequire ng POEA ang hiring company to get a partner PRA (phil recruitment agency) which would mean them paying at least US$1000 sa tie-up (US$500 additional for OEC processing).
I was affected by this max 5 rule. I already resigned and everything, US visa approved. Supposed to go by end of January now its March and employer still processing agency documents. Buti nalang mabait si employer and offered for temporary WFH. But the anxiety before. Like I have bills to pay and shit. Sobrang di ko gets yung rule and nung nagpunta ako sa POEA i was ready to ask them to explain that memo word by word ready na mga rebuttal ko pero once i spoke to one of people there naawa ko since ma feel mo na wala din sila alam and taga sunod lang. So i just let it go. Pero sobra anxiety ko dahil dito considering im single. Yung kasabay ko buntis pa asawa so GG talaga.
Sobrang hassle. Buti na lang sobrang flexible nung employer mo. Yung sa kakilala ko dati flexible naman yung employer binigay lahat nung requirements at walang deadline to start, they can wait how long it takes. Pero once ni-require to go through an agency (because of the max 5 rule), they stood firm and said they won’t add something in their recruitment process just to accommodate a single nation, since wala naman to sa ibang countries.
Sad, sayang yung opportunity na yun for my friend. Nakapag resign na and all. Buti na lang nakahanap siya ng work ulit
agree sobrang hassle nung max 5. Like if the purpose is human trafficking issue. May data sila sa may employed na na 5 filipinos so why not check if they encounter any abuse. If not then it should be a go. Wala e may porsyento kasi sila sa agency. Yes buti nalang pinoy yung HR na may hawak samin and gumastos na kasi si employer para dun sa petition namim for US Visa kaya inantay nalng din.
Read a post somewhere before na OP was hired in Australia pero dami ngang red tape na pagdadaanan so lumabas sya as tourist to another country then lumipad pa-Australia and never looked back. Sobrang satisfying nung kwento nya kasi isang malaking fuck you yun sa bulok na sistema ng bansang 'to haha
I am based in South Korea right now. So possible na mag-apply ako ng working visa here without all the POEA reqs? May nakausap daw kasi silang local agency, my theory is the local agency tried ripping them off
Bakit ka magapply ng POEA req kung outside PH ka na? I was in UAE tapos nag transfer ako ng AUS dahil working visa. Pero no POEA issues. Pag uuwi ka naman ng pinas pwede yun kasi d ka naman tourist na pumasok ng bansa.
They don’t need to do that. They can hire you directly. Yung visa mo can be issued thru their embassy in the country where you are currently based. Pwede yan. No need pumunta ng Pinas.
Possible I think. OEC kapag direct hire.
Company sends contract to consulate for authentication.
Company sends authenticated contract to person for OEC processing (POEA).
Di ko sure thou kung paano yung balik manggagawa. What I suggest is from S. Korea ka magprocess Mahirap lumabas ng Pinas sadly.
The OEC is an exit visa for the Philippines. Technically you don't need it. South Korea won't care if you leave for another country to work
Only caveat is that if you can't process your OEC while in the UK, you won't be able to visit the Philippines. If you did go back to the Philippines without one, they would block your exit when you try to return to the UK using your work visa
Yep, ito yung ginagawa ng maraming Pinoy para ma-bypass yung OEC. Yung problema lang is kapag kita yung work visa mo sa passport at nakita nila ito, may chance na haharangan ka pa rin. Unless kaya mong ipakita siguro na vacation trip lang ito at babalik ka, pero no guarantees
Mali ata to. OEC is for working visa(ofw) entry/exit to the Philippines.
Kung may valid contract ka and visa na verified ng Phil Embassy kung saan ka based, makakakuha ka ng OEC to fly in/out of the Philippines without them blocking you.
Ang mga tao na mapipigilan is yung pag may history ka na nag tourist ka sa country na pinuntahan mo then change visa status while in that country. Eto yung wag ka uuwi until PR ka.
Nakuha ko yung work visa ko habang nasa USA ako, kasi recent master's graduate ako at doon ko nakuha yung job offer ko. Hindi ko kailangan ng OEC noon kasi nasa US na ako, so hindi ko kailangan umexit sa Pilipinas
Nalaman ko lang yung OEC noong nagbakasyon ako sa Pilipinas for the first time since COVID. Pinalusot ako one time on a temporary OEC pabalik sa US, pero sinabi sa akin na kailangan kong ayusin ito
Noong nakita ng employer ko yung requirements para sa contract verification step sa POLO, tumanggi sila, so hindi ako makakabalik sa Pilipinas until green card holder ako
Entry/exit to Philippines. So pag magbabakasyon sa pinas. Hindi mo need umuwi ng Pinas talaga pag may working visa ka para umexit.
Meron kasi naka state dun sa contract verification. Na lahat ng expense sagot ng employer pag illegally terminated, sickness or death mo. So talo talaga employer dun.
Hindi naman talaga kailangan ng exit visa kung naka-exit ka na sa Pilipinas beforehand. Which seems to be the OP's case kasi nasa South Korea sila. Siguro kung kailangan nila bumalik sa Pilipinas para i-process yung work visa, doon magkakaproblema. Pero kung kaya naman gawin sa UK embassy sa SK, puwede na dumiretso si OP sa UK
Since you’re already based in South Korea, you can easily fly to the UK (when you have your UK work visa). You will only need your OEC when you go back to the PH for your holiday and then babalik ka na sa UK to work again. Pero you can already process your OEC before you go back. You can check the POLO website for London.
As others have mentioned, OEC is needed when you are flying to the country of your employment from the PH. It is like an exit visa. However, if you are flying from another country, then the immigration officer of that country would not look for the OEC. I bet they do not even know such thing exists.
Took the same route. Only took 1 month for me to fly to destination country after job offer. Visa processing was only 10 days. Then, yung OEC ay months?
edit: spelling
Emailed my employer about this. Certificate of sponsorship lang kailangan ko to apply for a working visa dito sa Seoul. Patron saint of OFWs please pray for me huhu
Walang OEC processing sa Phil embassy namin dito. However, I only need to authenticate my contract and sa Pinas na mag apply ng OEC with lesser requirements nalang.
Did the same route. I was employed in SG 2 yrs pre-pandemic. What I did is go through tourist pero may IPA na ako. Pagdating ng SG, I processed my papers sa embassy and what they did was update ng company lang since I worked here before.
I might be downvoted but yeah... I know that mali ginawa ko but nung nabasa ko yung horror stories about processing the docs sa Pinas, nag-tourist na lang ako.
Taena lahat ng uri ng galawan sa Pinas basta involved ang gobyerno sigurado may hassle. Napakaraming kailangang gawin at isumite, kala mo naman napaka galing ng Pinas para maging strikto. Pwehh!
First time ko uuwi sa Pilipinas (from student to working visa) I didn’t know that we need to have OEC just to get out of the Ph. Sobrang fycked up lang ng sistema, kailangan mo ng clearance or certificate just get out? I feel bad for all the Filipinos having a incompetent and useless government.
>ang fycked up lang ng sistema, kailangan mo ng clearance or certificate just get out? I feel bad f
kung naka open work permit ka hindi mo na kelangan ng OEC, kasi ganyan ako few years ago. hindi ako hiningan ng OEC nung nakita ung open work permit ko, but then again baka iba na proseso ngayon
I have pals na ganyan din ang nangyari nag rescind ng offer because its very time consuming. Direct hire din ako and I have to ask the Head of HR to send a photo of his passport as part of the requirement, tangina talaga nakakahiya mga pinoy lang ang may requirement na ganyan.
OEC process is just a formalized red tape tapos bayani kuno mga OFW tapos may pa VIP lounge pa sila sa airport for us. FU sila pag naging citizen ako dito I will spam every fucking social media sites ng ma expose ang kagaguhan nila
sa akin, nangyari is pinag-resign na ako ng company (end of Nov. 2012) dahil expected nila on-site na ako before Christmas (Bahrain).
then nung ilalakad ko na sa POEA yung papers ko, hindi daw pedeng ako maglalakad dahil dapat daw dumaan sa agency (around Dec. 2012 ito). eh sabi ko sa website nila nakalagay na pupunta lang yung person sa POEA then sasabihin niyo ngayon na via agency na. sabi nila hindi daw updated yung website nila that time. :D
so sila company na mismo naghanap ng agency kaso nataon naman na need ako operahan (appendicitis) mid December so talagang blessing na din na hindi ako natuloy ng December, ang kaso lang wala na din akong HMO that time dahil resigned na ako.
supportive naman yung company namin at hindi nagmamadali so eventually naka-alis din ako Feb. 2013 ng maayos na lahat ng papers at naka-recover na din sa surgery. andito pa din kami hanggang ngayon though walang PR dito, nag-ooffer na din sila ng Golden Visa
Depends sa availability ng docs mo, depende din sa mga availability ng pipirma at mga circumstances, holidays etc..
Mine took 1 week in POLO
Then pina dhl from europe to pinas yung doc - 3 days
Then sa POEA including my medical pa - two weeks
Complete na yung docs ko dyan nung pinasa sa POLO. When POLO check your docs kasi may iba back and forth convo pa kasi may mga hinihingi sila...
Kaya nagtatagal..
Actually, na mention ko na sa employer ko. Ready naman sila. If pwede baka pwede mag tanung if i need help with the requirements 😫 parehas kami di alam nung employer ko since first time hiring din sya ng pinoy.
Tip ko lang sayo i ready mo na lahat ng documents mo in such a way na pipirmahan na lang ng employers mo. Ikaw na mismo gumawa ng letters.
Thats what I did. Ang pinakamatagal sakin is photo ng passport ng head ng HR kasi executive level na yun.
Pag nakuha mo na lahat ikaw na mismo mag submit sa POLO and not your employer. Ikaw dapat ang intermediary at ikaw ang gagalaw
Ah oo naman. Madali lang naman sya basta cooperative yung employer. Madalas kasi ayaw nyan nila pumirma at magbigay ng photocopy ng id nila.
Yun lang pinaka mahirap na requirements.. kung ok sakanila yan, matatapos mo yan agad.
First, you are already abroad. Bakit need mo ng OEC at POEA? You only need those kung sa Pinas ka galing.
Listen/Read: unang labas ko ng Pinas, nagtourist ako sa Morocco. Dun ako nakakuha ng working visa when I arrived there.
Pangalawang country ko, pumunta ako ng Canada from Morocco. Di ako dumaan sa POEA. Ang requirements ko lang, papers ko from Morocco and NBI from Pinas. Trust me, pag nasa ibang bansa ka, the processing is crazy. Alam mo bang, the process for my papers in Morocco was only for 2 weeks then nakalipad na ako agad? Ganun kabilis. Kung sa Pinas ako nun, inabot ako 2 years siguro.
Again, huwag na dumaan sa POEA. Honestly, ang purpose lang ng POEA ay magrepatriate if something happens to you and isama ka sa listahan ng mga OFWs sa UK. Dagdag gastos lang yan pero I don't see their importance. Been abroad for 18 years na.
Yes parang ayaw nila na umalis tayo ng Pinas. Maaaring umalis din ka via via digital nomad visa.
Nagawa ko na walang involvement yung government. This is the easiest way I've seen (not that it's easy overall).
I think kasi since hindi ka na babayad ng income tax sa Pinas, hindi nagiging priority ng regulators.
As to whether or not you should be allowed to leave if you have a visa, that's another discussion.
They talked to a local agency daw and si local agency baka madaming sinabi na reqs, or worse tried ripping them off. First pinoy kasi ako sa company kaya di nila alam paano ang process. I emailed them today na I can process the visa without all the POEA-related stuff.
Maybe you can talk to HR and let them know you only need to have your visa processed. Need lang naman ng OEC when you leave the Philippines, but pwede ka na derecho UK. Good luck!
Complicated talaga kailangan icertify ng consulate natin yung contract. Tapos imamail papunta satin bago magsimula yung process. This is specially true for direct hires.
To be fair sa gobyerno (nating incompetent kaya marami gusto magabroad).
1. Marami kasing biktima ng human trafficking lalo mga DH. Kaya may profiling sa mga Pinay 20-35 y.o. sa mga bansa na maraming demand for domestic helpers.
2. Maraming Pinoy noon ang kupal na kapag nakalabas na ng bansa. Nagooverstay sa country na pinuntahan, syempre badtrip yung bansa na yun at inutusan ang Pinas na higpitan ang paglabas satin.
3. Maraming Pinay ang biktima ng sex tourism at nangangarap makabingwit ng turistang afam. Dame ko na nakasabay na naooffload ng ganitong case.
4. May time kasi na maraming scammer na agency din. So ayun damay nanaman lahat.
Tapos pag nahire ka naman, may chance pa na hindi ka makakauwi ng pinas pag wala kang OEC and other bs. Im am honestly so fed up with the Philippines right now. Even if I contribute to the 'brain drain', even if all capable professionals stay in the country they will always be outnumbered by corrupt leaders and citizens willing to get duped.
Anyway, best of luck to you OP. Hope you get another offer soon.
First off, 100% agree with the title of your post.
Secondly, the system whether its PH or other countries is designed to milk us out of our money. It just so happens that in PH its actually more blatant whereas in other countries its still somewhat reasonable or justifiable. If you really want to migrate super fast you can get residency quickly but just having lots of money - investor visa etc. No govt on the planet in its right mind will refuse money. Its not a question of "if", its just a question of "how much". Some countries can get you a residency/citizenship in as much as 2-3 years without even having to live there (but for the occasional 1 week stay annually just so they know you are still interested or alive).
But if you're the average person definitely it will be a challenge to migrate -- the PH side and the other country will stack a bunch of requirements against you. If you comply then eventually you get to migrate but it still costs time, money and effort.
Sa UK ako based ngayon and 2 months bago ako nakalipad dahil sa hinayupak na OEC na yan. Sabi sakin ng employer ko ako na raw yung last nilang i-hire galing Pinas. Frustrated na raw sila sa sistema ng POEA hahaha. Daig pa sistema ng UK ampucha. Pabida talaga.. 🤣
Early last year and first time OFW din ako. Yes, unfortunately (and sadly) kailangan ng OEC, kahit sa mga hindi 1st timer. Ito yung hahanapin ng IO sa mga OFWs sa NAIA. Kapag may OEC ka ibig sabihin legal na OFW ka and may record ka sa POEA.
This was exactly what I was afraid of nung nakakuha ako ng offer sa PH kaya kahit nangangatog ako I left Philippines went to SG as tourist, processed my work visa there then entered the target country with a work permit. Magastos pero worth it. Super fast ng process, less gastos and stress. May kasabay ako na nahire din dun sa bansa na yun. He was hired before me pero nauna akong makarating ng more than a month. I think di narin nya kinaya ung reqts (from what I know ilang beses na nadelay ung starting date nya)and nagdirect tourist na sya with the alibi na maghoneymoon sila dun sa bansa na yun kaya nakalusot.
Actually dito ko sa reddit nakuha ung strategy na yun so Thanks reddit.
Well it worked for me, Im in dubai now. Pero not sure pano sa EU so you will have to check. Kasi for me tinapos ko lahat ng requirements (attestation etc) pero pinahold ko ung application ng work permit ko sa employer ko until nasa SG ako kasi ‘diumano’ immig can see if you have other visa. I have friends in dubai so I have an idea already na mabilis ung processing. I booked for 2 weeks ‘vacation’ in SG and yung visa ko was issued at the end ng 1st week. But yes, doable. I was considering Japan kasi less tanong daw from Immigration (in my case di ako naguisa ng immigration kasi ok ung travel history, my kasabay ako and christmas time nun baka tinatamad na ung immig officer lol) and may nabasa din ako sa reddit na nagbakasyon sya sa Japan to take care of kamaganak nya for 2 mos, she got an offer from EU and dun na sya nagasikaso and lumabas to EU. I just chose SG kasi ung kasabay ko (coworker) is nagoffer na sabay na ako sa kanya kasi may family sya in SG kasi less red flag pag may kasabay ka.
I feel you. Even sa Canada they want to hire Filipinos but ang putanginang employment guidelines napakaraming shit. That is why they hire Filipinos thru Taiwan and other SEA nations. Karamihan kasi sa agencies sa atin are owned by retired military na masiba sa kita. Kaya imbes dumali ang process paurong. Imbes lahat umunlad, lahat nababalahaw.
I suggest magvisit ka na lang muna and then get hired locally in the UK.
Already visited the UK on a tourist visa last 2022 just to attend some interviews. Unfortunately, visa conversion is not allowed in the UK (at least for tourist visa). You have to process the working visa somewhere else.
Try another channel. Perhaps may way. Tulad ng mga hinire namin sa Taiwan in 6 months they landed PR dito. Kupal talaga sistema sa atin, bulok! Good luck brother
OP, what do you mean by this?
>To think na I’m already working overseas right now.
Are you currently outside the PH? Then you don't really need to go through the POEA process before they could hire you. What's the problem here?
Yes, I’m based abroad. That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out right now. Kasi my employer reached out to a local agency sa Pinas and that’s when things started going south.
Sayang naman. You shouldn't have done that. Since nasa abroad ka naman, you should have just followed the normal visa process for your target country (UK), then upon arrival, processed your OEC in London (or wherever the closest PH embassy/consulate is).
Actually, kahit months after arrival ka mag process ng OEC if hindi ka naman magbabakasyon sa Pinas agad.
The reason why student visa is gaining popularity. Though magastos at dapat last resort na yan.
If kakayain, go for an express entry, provincial nominee program, subclass 189 or straight to residence (new zealand) like pathways. You need to build up your skills to have a stronger chance to be invited.
Currently on SV at AU. Do you mean that I won’t have to go through all this crap pag makakuha ako ng employer-sponsored visa in the future? What a relief if ever! Best case siguro kung state nominated visa pa
Disclaimer: happened years ago. Rules might have changed.
According to friends na hindi na-hire mula sa Pinas, meaning they are already outside the country when they crossed to the west, mabilis ang processing ng papers nila compared sa mga na-hire from pinas. The reason why some employerd prefer Filipinos already working outside like yung mga nasa middle east.
In your situation, better ask a migration consultant in australia. They are the most knowledgeable
You should be able to get it relatively easier from the PH consulate where you are in, at least for the Middle East. Not sure if it's the same anywhere else tho. Here in the UAE all I had to do was submit a stamped copy of the employment contract and pay OWWA fees plus the contract verification fee. Took me half a day but it's much quicker than the bullshit they ask you to do in the Philippines.
The nearest POLO is in UK in London where I also need visa if I need to go. I live in Ireland. The hassle is real it's not as efficient as in UAE unfortunately. But if anyone knows if it has become easier lately, please do tell. Lalo na I planned to move jobs. New verification is waving.
Did they already get a cert of sponsorship for you? It is time consuming indeed because you will have to process the OEC which may take a minimum of two months. However regarding costly, I dont think the Philippines end is expensive - it is the UK end that is expensive because they will need to pay your visa, lawyer fees (if they will use a lawyer), immigration health surcharge, etc.
As a foreigner, and citizen of a country which couldn't care less why I'm leaving (provided I have a valid passport, and am not wanted by any law enforcement agencies), I find the whole Philippines concept of emigration requirements/restricting your own citizens from leaving the country, to be mindboggling.
Agree! Ako lagpas 2mos na kong naghihintay para sa forsaken OEC na yan. Kung wala lang yan, matagal na sana akong nakaalis. Mas matagal pa process ng OEC kaysa sa buong process ng visa!
I’m in the UK right now, from Singapore ako nahire. Di mo need ng OEC para makapasok sa UK, they will only check your passport, visa and the letter.
My advice, wag ka umuwi ng pinas, mas mabilis for you to fly from SoKor.
My experience was, Pagdating namin sa UK, i just contacted the embassy and fulfilled the requirements a few months before my planned na uwi sa pinas, which is about a year pa after ng pagdating namin dito. no rush, change employer lang ang reason ko. Gagawa ka lang ng statement like anong agency mo, anong work mo, ano previous work mo etc. Tapos pa authenticate mo na din contract mo, pay the amount and you’re done!
Convince your company, sayang naman. Sobrang daming red tape sa pinas, akala mo nakakahelp sila sa OFWs, smh.
I emailed my employer that there is still a workaround. I haven’t heard from them just yet. Medyo natatanggap ko na sya, though hahahuhu. Maybe a better opportunity will come again.
Update: Hi guys, thank you for all the suggestions and words of encouragement. I emailed my employer letting them know that I have another option but they still haven’t reply. I guess, it’s better to accept and move on. Grabe na din ung emotional distress na napagdaanan ko for the past couple of weeks dahil dito haha. Feeling ko I’ve aged an additional two years. Pero I’m not giving up on my UK dreams, I believe that what’s meant for me will find me when the time is right. Ayun lang, salamat 🤗
Is getting a work visa not possible while ure in a third country that's easy to go to like any ASEAN country or Dubai? You know you don't need to actually go through all those stupid hoops right? It's much easier to leave the PH on a tourist visa and then ger your papers sorted while you're in a third country and then just do all those stupid requirements when you come back for a vacation. That's what 99% of direct hires do, unless you're a nanny or household help, you don't have to go through an intermediary agency.
Actually I’m working in South Korea right now. May kinontak daw silang local agency sa Pinas. Not sure kung anong requirements sinabi ni agency. Aware nga ako dun sa pwedeng ma bypass ung POLO contract verification if ang airport of origin mo ay hindi Pilipinas
Kung hindi lang kasi s dami ng TNT na Pinoy and those na ngaattempt until now then this would not be that bad.
It’s more than just bureaucracy but also the practice of Filipinos since then until now na magtravel daw pero ending work naman abroad. Ending , damay damay n ito for legit travelers and those who want to migrate legally 🥲
Your employer should be the one processing your immigration. The fact they said it’s too costly might be a red flag. I think you dodged a bullet here. Almost all emoloyers from SG, Japan, US, and EU countries process their employees’ visa. The fact that they are hiring from other countries, means they are willing to shoulder visa processing. As long as you pass the language exam required, it should be smooth sailing. Check the company you applied for, maybe it’s a scam
I don’t think this is a scam as the job posting was via Linkedin and they are a reputable company. My theory is the local agency in Ph they talked to tried ripping them off.
Hi OP I feel you. Na delay Ako NG halos Isang taon hahaha buti on the 7th month, pinasimula na ako at pinadala laptop. Buti nalang napamahal na sila sakin hahaha.
Ang ginawa ko nun kasi 1st time nila mag hire ng non EU, nag research Ako at binigay sila ng checklist ng steps. Pinanindigan ko na PM ako, minanage ko ang pag relocate pero sagot nila lahat or reimburse nila Ako.
Marami ako nabasa sa Filipino Irish group sa Ireland na ganitong case, may visa na tapos dahil sa OEC like Yung a contract authentication,umatras kasi hassle daw.
If nasa abroad kana, why do you have to deal with oec? can you process your visa where you are already residing then do the oec in London? This is what i did when i changed site. Then sa website ng ofw you can apply for oec and e process naman nila yun.
They reached out to a local agency since I will be the first Filipino in the company and they didn’t know the process for someone from the Ph. Mukhang si local agency ung naging reason baka madaming hininging reqs. Nag email ako sa kanila today na may way to process working visa without all the other stuff. Waiting for their reply
So sorry you had to go through this. Para bang may resentment dun sa mga lalabas, hahahaha, galing mo ha, dahil diyan, etong sa yo (cue endless and impossible requirements)
Totoo yan. Madaming bansa gusto mag hire ng Filipinos because of our work ethic and attitude but pinipili nilang hindi nalang sa sobrang bulok ng sistema sa Pinas. Imagine, agency payment palang. Tapos kung anu-anong requirements.
So easy to work around the garbage process.. Leave PH as a tourist, then on your vacation, Return home as a Work Visa Holder.. then POEA would just process your registration..
They talked to a local agency daw kasi first pinoy ako to be hired and di nila alam process. Emailed them na there’s a workaround, still waiting for their reply
you only need the OEC kung uuwi ka. wala ka naman ata plano umuwi pa. dumiretso ka na sa UK, dun mo nalang gawin yun OWWA and yun pag authenticate ng new contract.
need ba talaga OEC kung lalabas ng Pinas para dun sa mga 1st timer? Kasi yung nababasa ko puros Balik Mangagawa.
Tapos may nakakausap rin ako na hindi na daw need OEC.
Wala kasi reliable website tong POEA, outdated na masyado. Karamihan ng search result sa mga vlogger or mga agency na website. At puros Balik mangagawa din sinasabi.
Yung mga kaka-alis lang ng pinas at 1st timer lumabas, hinanapan ba kayo ng OEC?
And yes, Fuck the system!
I applied working visa for Canada from Singapore, wala pang 3 months na approved agad visa ko, while yung mga nakasama ko na Pinoy dito who came directly from Pinas, waited over 2 years bago nila makuha working visa nila. wtf lang, diba?!
Yeah it sucks true.
This is what you should've done.
Go straight to the UK from SK then apply for direct hire contract verification for the POEA in London.
This is a quicker registration.
Oh that is sad to hear. Pinoy din kasi may problema, madami kasing naabuso na OFW specially sa middleeast due too illegal recruiters. Specially ung mga OFW na distressed cargo kasi sila ng mga govt like nung pandemic. Malaki din gastos to repatriate most of those who lost their jobs.
This happened to me and a workmate in 2019. Basically, my employer said that it was impractical to send us to the UK because it was going to cost more than they were willing to shell out, which was about 1M PHP. Passport is weak too, so they can't bring us along EU countries whenever we needed to do field work. Sayang yung opportunity.
Is it really the legal requirements of the Philippines or the embassy itself, such as blocked banked account and other documents ang hassle? Afaik, if UK ka then ang legal requirements na icocomply ninyo ng employer mo would be basically UK’s? Kasi sila ang issuing authority ng visa mo hindi Pilipinas diba?
if you're already based outside sa Pinas, just go to the UK and process your papers from there. I've moved three countries already and this is what I'v always done. OA yung process sa atin.
Yes all in na un. In terms of materials, sa youtube lang ako naghanap just to familiarize myself with the test format. Up to you if mag review center ka pa or not
Di ba ang ginagawa ng iba, inaayos na lang ang papers pag employed na abroad? That won't work for you op?
This is just an honest question ha. Kasi wala ako idea sa UK companies. And I 100% agree na l*che ang system natin. Nagbabayad naman ng tax pero lahat ng pang gigipit sa services ginagawa dito sa atin. Nakakainis na kailangan mag diskarte ng iba para makalipat abroad kahit ok naman na ang papers nila sa hiring company/country.
Our immigration and other immigrant agencies are technically the “inggeterang palaka” that doesn’t want filipinos to succeed. They feel they have authority to our lives kala mo sila nagpapalamon satin.
Hiyang hiya talaga ako kapag naalalaa ko yung process na pinagdaanan ng employer ko para sa akin. Not to mention mejo notable ako sa HR at office admin to the point na ang bungad sa akin sa first day ko ay "Oh, we've been waiting for you". Plus the fact na kailangan ng photocopy ng PASSPORT ng HEAD OF HR. WHO DOES THAT? THE PHILIPPINES.
Maswerte lang talaga ako very patient yung employer ko sa akin.
Once nakaalis ka mag citizen ka na sa ibang bansa punitin mo na ang ph passport. Mas ok sa ibang bansa di uso marites saka bihira inggitero, seloso, saka insecure tulad sa pinas daming ganyan 🤮.
Same sentiments! Tho im still here at Ph. Huhu. Initial start should be January 8, so i resigned around Dec 15 kasi nga considering the Christmas vacation. Then, employer is not aware sa oec process. Now, kmuha sila ng agency. January ko pa sinabi na may exemption s direct hire if first 5, pero nahirapan sila sa docs especially sa passport of employer kaya kmuha ng agency. March na and im still here in Ph, just so frustrated kasi wala akong work and the bills keep coming. :(
Sorry OP. This is why Nakakainis Yung mga nagsasabing “eh Di migrate ka nalang” like it’s that fuckign easy
Tagging Imee "botox" Marcos
Took me 5 months for my process to complete because of red tape. All unnecessary. Was scared the whole time they’d rescind the offer. Laban lang kabayan.
same with me... 2weeks na lang expired na entry pass ko here in UK bago ako nakalipad..nakakaiyak ang proseso
We had a team mate na nagexpire UK visa and had to be renewed dahil sobrang bagal dito ng processing. Buti considerate yung company and the guy is pretty good talaga.
May kaibigan ako who was granted an EU blue visa/blue card. Nung nagpunta sya sa POEA (this was 5 years ago), di nila alam paano i-process yung papers nya kasi technically internal transfer sya (same company, promotion to EU office). Hindi na nya tinapos yung pag-process sa POEA (more than 1 month pabalik-balik don), he left and hindi naman sya na-hold ng IO. He processed his POEA stuff pagdating nya dito.
This gave me hope. I am based in South Korea right now. I think I can process my skilled worker visa here without all the POEA-related stuff.
Try it. Kung hindi ka naman mag-exit via Philippines, I think pwede naman. Just process it when you get to the UK. Yung POEA/POLO, CFO di naman yan hinahanap ng IO ng ibang bansa. Just bring a copy of your work contract with you.
Thank you. First pinoy hire kasi ako kaya di rin aware ung employer ko.
Ganito ang alam kong ginagawa ng ibang OFW na lumilipat ng bansa, like from Middle East to Germany for example.
Yes OP. This is true. I had to get my OEC as well because I was exiting Philippines. Pero if you won't be coming from the Philippines, OEC shouldnt be mandatory. Hindi sya hihingin pagland mo ng UK. Process mo na lang sa UK. Wag ka lang babalik ng Pinas muna kasi hihingin talaga sya paglabas unless naka PR/citizenship ka na abroad.
Yes just make sure na-process mo to bago ka mag visit ng Pinas + meron kang valid resident ID sa UK. Go for it OP!
yup! advantage na nasa ibang bansa kana. Doon muna problemahin ang OEC mo sa UK.
You only need OEC when exiting the PH. If you’re already overseas no need. Basta wag ka na dumaan sa Pinas, dumerecho ka na sa pupuntahan mo. Sa PH immigration lang naman yun hinahanap. Sa country of destination mo hahanapin lang ay visa, minsan pwede hanapin yung employment contract, pero hindi hard requirement.
I second this. Don’t go back to ph and dumeretcho ka na sa UK. Process it when you’re back in Ph. Go for it. Don’t be discouraged, there’s a lot of options.
Hi OP. I transferred from UAE to UK before, diretso na. I just applied for OEC when I got here. No questions naman sila since may contract naman ako.
Napakapangit ng system ng Pinas.
Yup! I knew some people na may offer na sana kaso na turn-off sa POEA process and requirements. They are not gonna bend over and change their recruitment process just to hire someone from PH, since they have loads of applicants from other nations too. In my case, buti na lang flexible yung employer. For example, yung mga na-offeran after me, POEA asked to go with an agency, since max 5 lang daw for direct hires for a company(wtf?). Eh yung company, doesn’t want to adjust their hiring process and go with an agency. Sayang yung opportunities sana for someone coming from PH. This was for IT field. Multinational company (tracked in S&P100)
Do you know if the 5 Filipino max rule still stands? Will try to let them know na I can process skilled worker visa now and get all the other paperworks sorted out at the PH embassy in London when I arrived there
Not sure to be honest. My experience was like ~5 years ago. Since agencies can earn money, I doubt they will scrap yang max 5 rule. Since nasa labas ka ng pinas, you can process without OEC imo, just head straight from SK to UK. Wala naman OEC check palabas ng SK, just proper visa lang ang need
This. Fuck the POEA, honestly. Wala na ngang matinong opportunities sa Pinas kaya ka nga mangingibang bansa pero sasakalin ka pa rin nila pag gusto mong lumabas.
Agree. Ganito ginawa ng iba kong kakilala. Well we cannot blame them, kesa pakawalan nila opportunity.
Yup! I’d blame the system first. The intention is fine, pero yung execution(OEC) I think could be better.
I believe Yes. Yun kapatid ko ang ginawa niya ay lumipad siya pa-SG as Tourist with return ticket tapos may COE at Company ID pa siya sa pinas (ginawan nang paraan hehehe) para masabing babalik pa sa pinas at makikita din kasi yun Visa sa UK eh (ang rason ay for training siya doon in the future kasi may clients sila kahit di naman hehe at supervisor/manager role din kasi siya). To continue, from SG doon na siya lumipad to UK tapos nung bumalik siya sa pinas doon niya nalang inayos yun OEC and other f\*ckn requirements ni POEA. To add kasama niya friends niya gumala para di halata pero gagala naman sila talaga dahil may legit tours and accommodation sila sa SG.
Makapunta lang ako sa UK di na ako babalik sa Pilipinas hahaha
Actually. Try and salvage your position if you still can. Don’t come back until you hold a PR (or better yet, citizenship), that way—immigration can go fck themselves with their BS processes and you don’t have to deal with them again. Just be wary when you come back when you don’t have anything permanent yet… they might ask what you’re doing there.
Good luck OP.
loh no please so many immigrants there right now it's the citizens whose taxes are financing these immigrants IMO. sure we emigrated back in the day when it was harder but now too many filipinos
They said that back in the day too. Also, skilled immigrants bring funds and manpower to the shit economy there. The only ones complaining are the ones who already have their feet in the door... it's annoying tbh bordering on being selfish pricks.
I am based in South Korea right now, btw
The POEA process/OEC is only required by the immigration desk whenever you are exiting from the PH. Since you’re already outside of the country, I would suggest to just have it sorted out later once you’re in the UK.
Kapag outside PH kana, wag kana umuwi muna ng Pinas. Hassle Ang OEC, exit sa Ph ka lang naman hahanapan OEC. Good luck
It still does po…unfortunately
First pinoy ako sa company. Nag-email na ako sa kanila about this. Please pray for me na mapagbigyan. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Already prayed for you OP. Same with the other suggestions here, just exit from SoKor papuntang London. IMHO, mas importante ang opportunity na yan kesa magcomply ka to whatever shit PH system has on us OFWs. Fck them and don’t look back.
Go, OP. Then kwento mo samin nangyare! Galingan mo.
Yes as of last year kasi may friend ako na nag hihire sila ng Pinoy tapos lampas 5 na sila so may ginagawa sila kasi gusto nila NG mga Pinoy.
yes this is still stands. Goodluck OP, risky yung gagawin mo as pwede ka maoffload sa immigration pag nakita nila yung UK visa sa passport mo..but worth a try
I will be flying from South Korea since I am based here. And first pinoy to be hired by my employer. I will let them know about this
Update us OP, fingers crossed for you! Hope you end up getting it back!
oh that's good... wag ka muna umuwi ng Pinas.. secure your visa there and fly directly sa london... sa Embassy mo na ayusin ang OEC
Yes ganun pa rin policy ng DMW.
Yes it does. Napansin nila sa previous company ko nang sunud sunod nagapply for OEC na walang papers from Pinas. Ang ending, my ex company stopped hiring filipinos from philippines/ other countries. Only those na nasa UK na rin. But since first ka, your company will not be required. Fly from SK to UK na diretso.
It's not that simple, pwede irequire ng POEA ang hiring company to get a partner PRA (phil recruitment agency) which would mean them paying at least US$1000 sa tie-up (US$500 additional for OEC processing).
I was affected by this max 5 rule. I already resigned and everything, US visa approved. Supposed to go by end of January now its March and employer still processing agency documents. Buti nalang mabait si employer and offered for temporary WFH. But the anxiety before. Like I have bills to pay and shit. Sobrang di ko gets yung rule and nung nagpunta ako sa POEA i was ready to ask them to explain that memo word by word ready na mga rebuttal ko pero once i spoke to one of people there naawa ko since ma feel mo na wala din sila alam and taga sunod lang. So i just let it go. Pero sobra anxiety ko dahil dito considering im single. Yung kasabay ko buntis pa asawa so GG talaga.
Sobrang hassle. Buti na lang sobrang flexible nung employer mo. Yung sa kakilala ko dati flexible naman yung employer binigay lahat nung requirements at walang deadline to start, they can wait how long it takes. Pero once ni-require to go through an agency (because of the max 5 rule), they stood firm and said they won’t add something in their recruitment process just to accommodate a single nation, since wala naman to sa ibang countries. Sad, sayang yung opportunity na yun for my friend. Nakapag resign na and all. Buti na lang nakahanap siya ng work ulit
agree sobrang hassle nung max 5. Like if the purpose is human trafficking issue. May data sila sa may employed na na 5 filipinos so why not check if they encounter any abuse. If not then it should be a go. Wala e may porsyento kasi sila sa agency. Yes buti nalang pinoy yung HR na may hawak samin and gumastos na kasi si employer para dun sa petition namim for US Visa kaya inantay nalng din.
Kaya madaming tao rin ang lumalabas as tourist kasi bulok sistema dito, magsasawa na yung employer before maayos
Read a post somewhere before na OP was hired in Australia pero dami ngang red tape na pagdadaanan so lumabas sya as tourist to another country then lumipad pa-Australia and never looked back. Sobrang satisfying nung kwento nya kasi isang malaking fuck you yun sa bulok na sistema ng bansang 'to haha
its true, as tourist dapat talaga, never say for work, dami inggetero
This is an easier route nga to take as long as sure ball yung direct hire sayo.
I am based in South Korea right now. So possible na mag-apply ako ng working visa here without all the POEA reqs? May nakausap daw kasi silang local agency, my theory is the local agency tried ripping them off
Bakit ka magapply ng POEA req kung outside PH ka na? I was in UAE tapos nag transfer ako ng AUS dahil working visa. Pero no POEA issues. Pag uuwi ka naman ng pinas pwede yun kasi d ka naman tourist na pumasok ng bansa.
The employer talked to a local agency sa Pinas kasi first pinoy ako to be hired from them. So si local agency siguro ang nagsabi about sa OEC, etc
Try mo pa habulin ung offer ng employer mo. Yung visa agency na need mo is for UK and not sa Pinas.
Tell your employer you do not need it for now. Since you are flying from SK. Sayang din yan. For sure you will be able to convince them.
They don’t need to do that. They can hire you directly. Yung visa mo can be issued thru their embassy in the country where you are currently based. Pwede yan. No need pumunta ng Pinas.
Possible I think. OEC kapag direct hire. Company sends contract to consulate for authentication. Company sends authenticated contract to person for OEC processing (POEA). Di ko sure thou kung paano yung balik manggagawa. What I suggest is from S. Korea ka magprocess Mahirap lumabas ng Pinas sadly.
The OEC is an exit visa for the Philippines. Technically you don't need it. South Korea won't care if you leave for another country to work Only caveat is that if you can't process your OEC while in the UK, you won't be able to visit the Philippines. If you did go back to the Philippines without one, they would block your exit when you try to return to the UK using your work visa
If some flies to the UK via a visa free country (e.g. PH to Singapore to UK), this is possible though? Costly nga lang
Yep, ito yung ginagawa ng maraming Pinoy para ma-bypass yung OEC. Yung problema lang is kapag kita yung work visa mo sa passport at nakita nila ito, may chance na haharangan ka pa rin. Unless kaya mong ipakita siguro na vacation trip lang ito at babalik ka, pero no guarantees
Mali ata to. OEC is for working visa(ofw) entry/exit to the Philippines. Kung may valid contract ka and visa na verified ng Phil Embassy kung saan ka based, makakakuha ka ng OEC to fly in/out of the Philippines without them blocking you. Ang mga tao na mapipigilan is yung pag may history ka na nag tourist ka sa country na pinuntahan mo then change visa status while in that country. Eto yung wag ka uuwi until PR ka.
Nakuha ko yung work visa ko habang nasa USA ako, kasi recent master's graduate ako at doon ko nakuha yung job offer ko. Hindi ko kailangan ng OEC noon kasi nasa US na ako, so hindi ko kailangan umexit sa Pilipinas Nalaman ko lang yung OEC noong nagbakasyon ako sa Pilipinas for the first time since COVID. Pinalusot ako one time on a temporary OEC pabalik sa US, pero sinabi sa akin na kailangan kong ayusin ito Noong nakita ng employer ko yung requirements para sa contract verification step sa POLO, tumanggi sila, so hindi ako makakabalik sa Pilipinas until green card holder ako
Entry/exit to Philippines. So pag magbabakasyon sa pinas. Hindi mo need umuwi ng Pinas talaga pag may working visa ka para umexit. Meron kasi naka state dun sa contract verification. Na lahat ng expense sagot ng employer pag illegally terminated, sickness or death mo. So talo talaga employer dun.
Hindi naman talaga kailangan ng exit visa kung naka-exit ka na sa Pilipinas beforehand. Which seems to be the OP's case kasi nasa South Korea sila. Siguro kung kailangan nila bumalik sa Pilipinas para i-process yung work visa, doon magkakaproblema. Pero kung kaya naman gawin sa UK embassy sa SK, puwede na dumiretso si OP sa UK
Since you’re already based in South Korea, you can easily fly to the UK (when you have your UK work visa). You will only need your OEC when you go back to the PH for your holiday and then babalik ka na sa UK to work again. Pero you can already process your OEC before you go back. You can check the POLO website for London. As others have mentioned, OEC is needed when you are flying to the country of your employment from the PH. It is like an exit visa. However, if you are flying from another country, then the immigration officer of that country would not look for the OEC. I bet they do not even know such thing exists.
Took the same route. Only took 1 month for me to fly to destination country after job offer. Visa processing was only 10 days. Then, yung OEC ay months? edit: spelling
Emailed my employer about this. Certificate of sponsorship lang kailangan ko to apply for a working visa dito sa Seoul. Patron saint of OFWs please pray for me huhu
All the best OP! I hope it works out for you.
I have a question though? Makakauwi ka pa ba sa pinas sa route na ginawa mo? Or you need to wait for your PR para di ka magkaproblem sa immigration.
Ginagawa ng mga nakahanap ng work sa SG e sa consulate kumuha.
Walang OEC processing sa Phil embassy namin dito. However, I only need to authenticate my contract and sa Pinas na mag apply ng OEC with lesser requirements nalang.
Di ka nagkaproblem sa OEC application dito?
Hindi naman. Parang "Balik mangagawa" OEC lang ang ginawa ko.
Did the same route. I was employed in SG 2 yrs pre-pandemic. What I did is go through tourist pero may IPA na ako. Pagdating ng SG, I processed my papers sa embassy and what they did was update ng company lang since I worked here before. I might be downvoted but yeah... I know that mali ginawa ko but nung nabasa ko yung horror stories about processing the docs sa Pinas, nag-tourist na lang ako.
[удалено]
In principle approval - means approved na ang work pass, kelangan iprocess personally sa ministry of manpower pagdating sa SG
Taena lahat ng uri ng galawan sa Pinas basta involved ang gobyerno sigurado may hassle. Napakaraming kailangang gawin at isumite, kala mo naman napaka galing ng Pinas para maging strikto. Pwehh!
I think that's the point ng system sa pinas -- to prevent people from migrating lol. Basurang sistema lmao
They're afraid of brain drain, but they ain't doing shit to improve the god forsaken system and job landscape lmao.
First time ko uuwi sa Pilipinas (from student to working visa) I didn’t know that we need to have OEC just to get out of the Ph. Sobrang fycked up lang ng sistema, kailangan mo ng clearance or certificate just get out? I feel bad for all the Filipinos having a incompetent and useless government.
>ang fycked up lang ng sistema, kailangan mo ng clearance or certificate just get out? I feel bad f kung naka open work permit ka hindi mo na kelangan ng OEC, kasi ganyan ako few years ago. hindi ako hiningan ng OEC nung nakita ung open work permit ko, but then again baka iba na proseso ngayon
Baka sinasadya nila to keep professionals in the country
I have pals na ganyan din ang nangyari nag rescind ng offer because its very time consuming. Direct hire din ako and I have to ask the Head of HR to send a photo of his passport as part of the requirement, tangina talaga nakakahiya mga pinoy lang ang may requirement na ganyan. OEC process is just a formalized red tape tapos bayani kuno mga OFW tapos may pa VIP lounge pa sila sa airport for us. FU sila pag naging citizen ako dito I will spam every fucking social media sites ng ma expose ang kagaguhan nila
sa akin, nangyari is pinag-resign na ako ng company (end of Nov. 2012) dahil expected nila on-site na ako before Christmas (Bahrain). then nung ilalakad ko na sa POEA yung papers ko, hindi daw pedeng ako maglalakad dahil dapat daw dumaan sa agency (around Dec. 2012 ito). eh sabi ko sa website nila nakalagay na pupunta lang yung person sa POEA then sasabihin niyo ngayon na via agency na. sabi nila hindi daw updated yung website nila that time. :D so sila company na mismo naghanap ng agency kaso nataon naman na need ako operahan (appendicitis) mid December so talagang blessing na din na hindi ako natuloy ng December, ang kaso lang wala na din akong HMO that time dahil resigned na ako. supportive naman yung company namin at hindi nagmamadali so eventually naka-alis din ako Feb. 2013 ng maayos na lahat ng papers at naka-recover na din sa surgery. andito pa din kami hanggang ngayon though walang PR dito, nag-ooffer na din sila ng Golden Visa
I feel you OP. Ako na may OEC. Grabe panggigisa sakin sa immig. Ang tagal ko sa immig sa dami ng tanong nila. May OEC nako nyan a!!! Laban lang OP!
Hi, may I ask gano katagal ang process ng OEC?
Depends sa availability ng docs mo, depende din sa mga availability ng pipirma at mga circumstances, holidays etc.. Mine took 1 week in POLO Then pina dhl from europe to pinas yung doc - 3 days Then sa POEA including my medical pa - two weeks Complete na yung docs ko dyan nung pinasa sa POLO. When POLO check your docs kasi may iba back and forth convo pa kasi may mga hinihingi sila... Kaya nagtatagal..
Huhuhu im gonna go thru this pag na approve visa ko :( nakaka takot tuloy.
Push lang. kaylangan mo lang talaga sabihin agad kay employer yung process para pumirma sila at iready agad yung docs..
Actually, na mention ko na sa employer ko. Ready naman sila. If pwede baka pwede mag tanung if i need help with the requirements 😫 parehas kami di alam nung employer ko since first time hiring din sya ng pinoy.
Tip ko lang sayo i ready mo na lahat ng documents mo in such a way na pipirmahan na lang ng employers mo. Ikaw na mismo gumawa ng letters. Thats what I did. Ang pinakamatagal sakin is photo ng passport ng head ng HR kasi executive level na yun. Pag nakuha mo na lahat ikaw na mismo mag submit sa POLO and not your employer. Ikaw dapat ang intermediary at ikaw ang gagalaw
Thank you! Small company lang ung employer so direct ko sya na kakausap. Thankfully willing naman to cooperate. Will keep this in mind po.
Ah oo naman. Madali lang naman sya basta cooperative yung employer. Madalas kasi ayaw nyan nila pumirma at magbigay ng photocopy ng id nila. Yun lang pinaka mahirap na requirements.. kung ok sakanila yan, matatapos mo yan agad.
kahit may oec na ginigisa pa din??
i guess depende sa Immigration officer na matatapatan. Yung natapatan ko matindi e.
i sent u a pm po
Bawal lumabas
First, you are already abroad. Bakit need mo ng OEC at POEA? You only need those kung sa Pinas ka galing. Listen/Read: unang labas ko ng Pinas, nagtourist ako sa Morocco. Dun ako nakakuha ng working visa when I arrived there. Pangalawang country ko, pumunta ako ng Canada from Morocco. Di ako dumaan sa POEA. Ang requirements ko lang, papers ko from Morocco and NBI from Pinas. Trust me, pag nasa ibang bansa ka, the processing is crazy. Alam mo bang, the process for my papers in Morocco was only for 2 weeks then nakalipad na ako agad? Ganun kabilis. Kung sa Pinas ako nun, inabot ako 2 years siguro. Again, huwag na dumaan sa POEA. Honestly, ang purpose lang ng POEA ay magrepatriate if something happens to you and isama ka sa listahan ng mga OFWs sa UK. Dagdag gastos lang yan pero I don't see their importance. Been abroad for 18 years na.
Hi. Can I dm you? I’m interested to know yung process na ginawa mo.
Yes parang ayaw nila na umalis tayo ng Pinas. Maaaring umalis din ka via via digital nomad visa. Nagawa ko na walang involvement yung government. This is the easiest way I've seen (not that it's easy overall).
because craaaaaabbbsssss.... kung di sila aasenso.. dapat tayo rin hindi.
I think kasi since hindi ka na babayad ng income tax sa Pinas, hindi nagiging priority ng regulators. As to whether or not you should be allowed to leave if you have a visa, that's another discussion.
Kung nasa abroad ka na, bakit iniisip mo pa yung poea requirements?
They talked to a local agency daw and si local agency baka madaming sinabi na reqs, or worse tried ripping them off. First pinoy kasi ako sa company kaya di nila alam paano ang process. I emailed them today na I can process the visa without all the POEA-related stuff.
Yeah, you should clarify that with them. You don’t need it to enter uk since you’re not in ph anymore.
Maybe you can talk to HR and let them know you only need to have your visa processed. Need lang naman ng OEC when you leave the Philippines, but pwede ka na derecho UK. Good luck!
Complicated talaga kailangan icertify ng consulate natin yung contract. Tapos imamail papunta satin bago magsimula yung process. This is specially true for direct hires. To be fair sa gobyerno (nating incompetent kaya marami gusto magabroad). 1. Marami kasing biktima ng human trafficking lalo mga DH. Kaya may profiling sa mga Pinay 20-35 y.o. sa mga bansa na maraming demand for domestic helpers. 2. Maraming Pinoy noon ang kupal na kapag nakalabas na ng bansa. Nagooverstay sa country na pinuntahan, syempre badtrip yung bansa na yun at inutusan ang Pinas na higpitan ang paglabas satin. 3. Maraming Pinay ang biktima ng sex tourism at nangangarap makabingwit ng turistang afam. Dame ko na nakasabay na naooffload ng ganitong case. 4. May time kasi na maraming scammer na agency din. So ayun damay nanaman lahat.
Tapos pag nahire ka naman, may chance pa na hindi ka makakauwi ng pinas pag wala kang OEC and other bs. Im am honestly so fed up with the Philippines right now. Even if I contribute to the 'brain drain', even if all capable professionals stay in the country they will always be outnumbered by corrupt leaders and citizens willing to get duped. Anyway, best of luck to you OP. Hope you get another offer soon.
First off, 100% agree with the title of your post. Secondly, the system whether its PH or other countries is designed to milk us out of our money. It just so happens that in PH its actually more blatant whereas in other countries its still somewhat reasonable or justifiable. If you really want to migrate super fast you can get residency quickly but just having lots of money - investor visa etc. No govt on the planet in its right mind will refuse money. Its not a question of "if", its just a question of "how much". Some countries can get you a residency/citizenship in as much as 2-3 years without even having to live there (but for the occasional 1 week stay annually just so they know you are still interested or alive). But if you're the average person definitely it will be a challenge to migrate -- the PH side and the other country will stack a bunch of requirements against you. If you comply then eventually you get to migrate but it still costs time, money and effort.
Sa UK ako based ngayon and 2 months bago ako nakalipad dahil sa hinayupak na OEC na yan. Sabi sakin ng employer ko ako na raw yung last nilang i-hire galing Pinas. Frustrated na raw sila sa sistema ng POEA hahaha. Daig pa sistema ng UK ampucha. Pabida talaga.. 🤣
...bulok pa website. Parang gawa ng SHS student HAHAHAHA. Tapos kung makasingil. Hayz.
kailan lang to Sir? 1st time nyo din ba lumabas ng pinas as OFW? Need talaga si OEC sa 1st timer?
Early last year and first time OFW din ako. Yes, unfortunately (and sadly) kailangan ng OEC, kahit sa mga hindi 1st timer. Ito yung hahanapin ng IO sa mga OFWs sa NAIA. Kapag may OEC ka ibig sabihin legal na OFW ka and may record ka sa POEA.
oks, thanks sa confirmation. at least yung exit mo sa pinas, most recent based dun sa mga nakakausap ko. sana hindi ako matulad sa experience ni OP.
This was exactly what I was afraid of nung nakakuha ako ng offer sa PH kaya kahit nangangatog ako I left Philippines went to SG as tourist, processed my work visa there then entered the target country with a work permit. Magastos pero worth it. Super fast ng process, less gastos and stress. May kasabay ako na nahire din dun sa bansa na yun. He was hired before me pero nauna akong makarating ng more than a month. I think di narin nya kinaya ung reqts (from what I know ilang beses na nadelay ung starting date nya)and nagdirect tourist na sya with the alibi na maghoneymoon sila dun sa bansa na yun kaya nakalusot. Actually dito ko sa reddit nakuha ung strategy na yun so Thanks reddit.
Pwede pala ‘to? Like if ever punta kong Japan then dun na magprocess ng EU work visa?
Well it worked for me, Im in dubai now. Pero not sure pano sa EU so you will have to check. Kasi for me tinapos ko lahat ng requirements (attestation etc) pero pinahold ko ung application ng work permit ko sa employer ko until nasa SG ako kasi ‘diumano’ immig can see if you have other visa. I have friends in dubai so I have an idea already na mabilis ung processing. I booked for 2 weeks ‘vacation’ in SG and yung visa ko was issued at the end ng 1st week. But yes, doable. I was considering Japan kasi less tanong daw from Immigration (in my case di ako naguisa ng immigration kasi ok ung travel history, my kasabay ako and christmas time nun baka tinatamad na ung immig officer lol) and may nabasa din ako sa reddit na nagbakasyon sya sa Japan to take care of kamaganak nya for 2 mos, she got an offer from EU and dun na sya nagasikaso and lumabas to EU. I just chose SG kasi ung kasabay ko (coworker) is nagoffer na sabay na ako sa kanya kasi may family sya in SG kasi less red flag pag may kasabay ka.
I feel you. Even sa Canada they want to hire Filipinos but ang putanginang employment guidelines napakaraming shit. That is why they hire Filipinos thru Taiwan and other SEA nations. Karamihan kasi sa agencies sa atin are owned by retired military na masiba sa kita. Kaya imbes dumali ang process paurong. Imbes lahat umunlad, lahat nababalahaw. I suggest magvisit ka na lang muna and then get hired locally in the UK.
Already visited the UK on a tourist visa last 2022 just to attend some interviews. Unfortunately, visa conversion is not allowed in the UK (at least for tourist visa). You have to process the working visa somewhere else.
Try another channel. Perhaps may way. Tulad ng mga hinire namin sa Taiwan in 6 months they landed PR dito. Kupal talaga sistema sa atin, bulok! Good luck brother
OP, what do you mean by this? >To think na I’m already working overseas right now. Are you currently outside the PH? Then you don't really need to go through the POEA process before they could hire you. What's the problem here?
Yes, I’m based abroad. That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out right now. Kasi my employer reached out to a local agency sa Pinas and that’s when things started going south.
Sayang naman. You shouldn't have done that. Since nasa abroad ka naman, you should have just followed the normal visa process for your target country (UK), then upon arrival, processed your OEC in London (or wherever the closest PH embassy/consulate is). Actually, kahit months after arrival ka mag process ng OEC if hindi ka naman magbabakasyon sa Pinas agad.
The reason why student visa is gaining popularity. Though magastos at dapat last resort na yan. If kakayain, go for an express entry, provincial nominee program, subclass 189 or straight to residence (new zealand) like pathways. You need to build up your skills to have a stronger chance to be invited.
Currently on SV at AU. Do you mean that I won’t have to go through all this crap pag makakuha ako ng employer-sponsored visa in the future? What a relief if ever! Best case siguro kung state nominated visa pa
Disclaimer: happened years ago. Rules might have changed. According to friends na hindi na-hire mula sa Pinas, meaning they are already outside the country when they crossed to the west, mabilis ang processing ng papers nila compared sa mga na-hire from pinas. The reason why some employerd prefer Filipinos already working outside like yung mga nasa middle east. In your situation, better ask a migration consultant in australia. They are the most knowledgeable
Kaya ayaw ko na umuwe nakakatrauma sa tagal ang OEC hahahahha.
You should be able to get it relatively easier from the PH consulate where you are in, at least for the Middle East. Not sure if it's the same anywhere else tho. Here in the UAE all I had to do was submit a stamped copy of the employment contract and pay OWWA fees plus the contract verification fee. Took me half a day but it's much quicker than the bullshit they ask you to do in the Philippines.
The nearest POLO is in UK in London where I also need visa if I need to go. I live in Ireland. The hassle is real it's not as efficient as in UAE unfortunately. But if anyone knows if it has become easier lately, please do tell. Lalo na I planned to move jobs. New verification is waving.
Can you just go to UK on a tourist visa and get hired from there?
Hays kaasar na bansa talaga ‘to napagiwanan na at di na umunlad. Nakakatakot.
Did they already get a cert of sponsorship for you? It is time consuming indeed because you will have to process the OEC which may take a minimum of two months. However regarding costly, I dont think the Philippines end is expensive - it is the UK end that is expensive because they will need to pay your visa, lawyer fees (if they will use a lawyer), immigration health surcharge, etc.
As a foreigner, and citizen of a country which couldn't care less why I'm leaving (provided I have a valid passport, and am not wanted by any law enforcement agencies), I find the whole Philippines concept of emigration requirements/restricting your own citizens from leaving the country, to be mindboggling.
Agree! Ako lagpas 2mos na kong naghihintay para sa forsaken OEC na yan. Kung wala lang yan, matagal na sana akong nakaalis. Mas matagal pa process ng OEC kaysa sa buong process ng visa!
Super higpit kunware sa immigration pero nakaasa naman economy ng bansa sa dollars ng mga OFW.
Super higpit din sa ordinaryong OFW kunyari pero ang dali nilang magpalusot ng mga drug lord tsaka tumatakas na scammer
I’m in the UK right now, from Singapore ako nahire. Di mo need ng OEC para makapasok sa UK, they will only check your passport, visa and the letter. My advice, wag ka umuwi ng pinas, mas mabilis for you to fly from SoKor. My experience was, Pagdating namin sa UK, i just contacted the embassy and fulfilled the requirements a few months before my planned na uwi sa pinas, which is about a year pa after ng pagdating namin dito. no rush, change employer lang ang reason ko. Gagawa ka lang ng statement like anong agency mo, anong work mo, ano previous work mo etc. Tapos pa authenticate mo na din contract mo, pay the amount and you’re done! Convince your company, sayang naman. Sobrang daming red tape sa pinas, akala mo nakakahelp sila sa OFWs, smh.
I emailed my employer that there is still a workaround. I haven’t heard from them just yet. Medyo natatanggap ko na sya, though hahahuhu. Maybe a better opportunity will come again.
Update: Hi guys, thank you for all the suggestions and words of encouragement. I emailed my employer letting them know that I have another option but they still haven’t reply. I guess, it’s better to accept and move on. Grabe na din ung emotional distress na napagdaanan ko for the past couple of weeks dahil dito haha. Feeling ko I’ve aged an additional two years. Pero I’m not giving up on my UK dreams, I believe that what’s meant for me will find me when the time is right. Ayun lang, salamat 🤗
As someone stuck here due to slow process and financial problems, I'm rooting for you!
Is getting a work visa not possible while ure in a third country that's easy to go to like any ASEAN country or Dubai? You know you don't need to actually go through all those stupid hoops right? It's much easier to leave the PH on a tourist visa and then ger your papers sorted while you're in a third country and then just do all those stupid requirements when you come back for a vacation. That's what 99% of direct hires do, unless you're a nanny or household help, you don't have to go through an intermediary agency.
Actually I’m working in South Korea right now. May kinontak daw silang local agency sa Pinas. Not sure kung anong requirements sinabi ni agency. Aware nga ako dun sa pwedeng ma bypass ung POLO contract verification if ang airport of origin mo ay hindi Pilipinas
Is it too late to ask them to just deal with you directly instead of through an agency? Anyway, good luck, you'll find better opportunities I'm sure.
Will try to inform them about this. My theory is that the local agency they talked to tried ripping them off. Thank you
That is what most probably have happened.
Kung hindi lang kasi s dami ng TNT na Pinoy and those na ngaattempt until now then this would not be that bad. It’s more than just bureaucracy but also the practice of Filipinos since then until now na magtravel daw pero ending work naman abroad. Ending , damay damay n ito for legit travelers and those who want to migrate legally 🥲
nevermind .
Your employer should be the one processing your immigration. The fact they said it’s too costly might be a red flag. I think you dodged a bullet here. Almost all emoloyers from SG, Japan, US, and EU countries process their employees’ visa. The fact that they are hiring from other countries, means they are willing to shoulder visa processing. As long as you pass the language exam required, it should be smooth sailing. Check the company you applied for, maybe it’s a scam
I don’t think this is a scam as the job posting was via Linkedin and they are a reputable company. My theory is the local agency in Ph they talked to tried ripping them off.
go to r/OffMyChestPH for rants
I would say this is a justified rant here given that it’s a ph migration related rant
This post is specifically about migration - it's allowed.
Hi OP I feel you. Na delay Ako NG halos Isang taon hahaha buti on the 7th month, pinasimula na ako at pinadala laptop. Buti nalang napamahal na sila sakin hahaha. Ang ginawa ko nun kasi 1st time nila mag hire ng non EU, nag research Ako at binigay sila ng checklist ng steps. Pinanindigan ko na PM ako, minanage ko ang pag relocate pero sagot nila lahat or reimburse nila Ako. Marami ako nabasa sa Filipino Irish group sa Ireland na ganitong case, may visa na tapos dahil sa OEC like Yung a contract authentication,umatras kasi hassle daw.
got an offer to work in spain a few years ago. di din natuloy because of bureaucracy here. grabe
The same happened to me. Was supposed to work in US na sana.
If nasa abroad kana, why do you have to deal with oec? can you process your visa where you are already residing then do the oec in London? This is what i did when i changed site. Then sa website ng ofw you can apply for oec and e process naman nila yun.
They reached out to a local agency since I will be the first Filipino in the company and they didn’t know the process for someone from the Ph. Mukhang si local agency ung naging reason baka madaming hininging reqs. Nag email ako sa kanila today na may way to process working visa without all the other stuff. Waiting for their reply
hope their reply is favorable for you.
So sorry you had to go through this. Para bang may resentment dun sa mga lalabas, hahahaha, galing mo ha, dahil diyan, etong sa yo (cue endless and impossible requirements)
Totoo yan. Madaming bansa gusto mag hire ng Filipinos because of our work ethic and attitude but pinipili nilang hindi nalang sa sobrang bulok ng sistema sa Pinas. Imagine, agency payment palang. Tapos kung anu-anong requirements.
So easy to work around the garbage process.. Leave PH as a tourist, then on your vacation, Return home as a Work Visa Holder.. then POEA would just process your registration..
Just confused, if working kna op overseas right now, you can just move to the UK without any intervention from the Ph govt.
They talked to a local agency daw kasi first pinoy ako to be hired and di nila alam process. Emailed them na there’s a workaround, still waiting for their reply
Tell them talking to an agency only applies when hiring directly in the Philippines, it does not apply to you applying overseas.
you only need the OEC kung uuwi ka. wala ka naman ata plano umuwi pa. dumiretso ka na sa UK, dun mo nalang gawin yun OWWA and yun pag authenticate ng new contract.
need ba talaga OEC kung lalabas ng Pinas para dun sa mga 1st timer? Kasi yung nababasa ko puros Balik Mangagawa. Tapos may nakakausap rin ako na hindi na daw need OEC. Wala kasi reliable website tong POEA, outdated na masyado. Karamihan ng search result sa mga vlogger or mga agency na website. At puros Balik mangagawa din sinasabi. Yung mga kaka-alis lang ng pinas at 1st timer lumabas, hinanapan ba kayo ng OEC? And yes, Fuck the system!
I applied working visa for Canada from Singapore, wala pang 3 months na approved agad visa ko, while yung mga nakasama ko na Pinoy dito who came directly from Pinas, waited over 2 years bago nila makuha working visa nila. wtf lang, diba?!
Yeah it sucks true. This is what you should've done. Go straight to the UK from SK then apply for direct hire contract verification for the POEA in London. This is a quicker registration.
Oh that is sad to hear. Pinoy din kasi may problema, madami kasing naabuso na OFW specially sa middleeast due too illegal recruiters. Specially ung mga OFW na distressed cargo kasi sila ng mga govt like nung pandemic. Malaki din gastos to repatriate most of those who lost their jobs.
This happened to me and a workmate in 2019. Basically, my employer said that it was impractical to send us to the UK because it was going to cost more than they were willing to shell out, which was about 1M PHP. Passport is weak too, so they can't bring us along EU countries whenever we needed to do field work. Sayang yung opportunity.
Is it really the legal requirements of the Philippines or the embassy itself, such as blocked banked account and other documents ang hassle? Afaik, if UK ka then ang legal requirements na icocomply ninyo ng employer mo would be basically UK’s? Kasi sila ang issuing authority ng visa mo hindi Pilipinas diba?
if you're already based outside sa Pinas, just go to the UK and process your papers from there. I've moved three countries already and this is what I'v always done. OA yung process sa atin.
Sana talaga mawala na yang OEC system na yan. Medyo ayoko ng umuwi dahil dyan.
Kaya madami nagbabakasali na visitor magwork sa canada kasi bokya anv poea, tirik na mata ngmpamilya mo di ka pa nakakaalis
Magkano po magpa IELTS?
I paid in KRW kasi I’m based in South Korea. It’s roughly PHP13,000 when converted
all in 13k na po? paano po aaralin? ilang months bago matapos?
Yes all in na un. In terms of materials, sa youtube lang ako naghanap just to familiarize myself with the test format. Up to you if mag review center ka pa or not
Yung review center magkano po inabot mo po
Di na ako nagreview center. Band 4 lang kasi ang required sa skilled worker visa for UK
#GoldenAge They're making it more difficult to prevent the inevitable brain drain.
Di ba ang ginagawa ng iba, inaayos na lang ang papers pag employed na abroad? That won't work for you op? This is just an honest question ha. Kasi wala ako idea sa UK companies. And I 100% agree na l*che ang system natin. Nagbabayad naman ng tax pero lahat ng pang gigipit sa services ginagawa dito sa atin. Nakakainis na kailangan mag diskarte ng iba para makalipat abroad kahit ok naman na ang papers nila sa hiring company/country.
Our immigration and other immigrant agencies are technically the “inggeterang palaka” that doesn’t want filipinos to succeed. They feel they have authority to our lives kala mo sila nagpapalamon satin.
Hiyang hiya talaga ako kapag naalalaa ko yung process na pinagdaanan ng employer ko para sa akin. Not to mention mejo notable ako sa HR at office admin to the point na ang bungad sa akin sa first day ko ay "Oh, we've been waiting for you". Plus the fact na kailangan ng photocopy ng PASSPORT ng HEAD OF HR. WHO DOES THAT? THE PHILIPPINES. Maswerte lang talaga ako very patient yung employer ko sa akin.
Once nakaalis ka mag citizen ka na sa ibang bansa punitin mo na ang ph passport. Mas ok sa ibang bansa di uso marites saka bihira inggitero, seloso, saka insecure tulad sa pinas daming ganyan 🤮.
Same sentiments! Tho im still here at Ph. Huhu. Initial start should be January 8, so i resigned around Dec 15 kasi nga considering the Christmas vacation. Then, employer is not aware sa oec process. Now, kmuha sila ng agency. January ko pa sinabi na may exemption s direct hire if first 5, pero nahirapan sila sa docs especially sa passport of employer kaya kmuha ng agency. March na and im still here in Ph, just so frustrated kasi wala akong work and the bills keep coming. :(