IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
Good news for Filipinos working as domestic helpers in Switzerland. The government of Switzerland announced that they have set a new minimum wage for domestic helpers. The move was made after numerous reports of widespread salary abuse.
Listed below is the new minimum wage for domestic helpers set by the Swiss federal government;
* Sfr 18.50 (about P815) for workers without experience;
* Sfr 20 (about P881) for those with five years of experience but without professional training; and
* Sfr 22 (about P969) for workers with Swiss-approved professional training.
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IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
With the recent implementation of Republic Act 10022, or the amended Migrant Worker's and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is reminding overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to report any recruitment agency that will charge them for the cost of insurance required for their deployment abroad.
Section 37-A of the law requires licensed recruitment or manning agencies to shoulder the insurance coverage of agency-hired Filipino workers.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, Presidential Adviser for Overseas Filipino Worker Concerns, has announced the 60-day suspension of the implementation of the required certification of host countries where overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) applied.
Binay said that the suspension is expected to give enough time for host countries to comply with the requirements stated under Republic Act 10022 or the New Migrant Workers Act.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be issuing certification whether host countries meet the criteria stated in the law with regard to deployment of OFWs.
Foreign companies with projects in Algeria continue to prefer overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for employment in their construction and oil and gas projects, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Monday. At least three companies intend to hire more OFWs for various projects in Algeria, according a DOLE press release based on a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Tripoli, Libya. Labor Attaché Nasser Mustafa said he conducted site verification and ocular inspection of Algeria-based companies COJAAL, Samsung, and Doodsal and found that work conditions in the companies’ sites are “satisfactory." He also met with the management of MITAC, the Japanese firm which built a 220-km road project with the Algerian National Agency for Highways. The road project was clinched through COJAAL, a consortium of five Japanese companies -- Kajima, Taichi, Nishimachu, Hajana, and Ituchu. Mustafa said that COJAAL is now starting the construction of another 17-kilometer superhighway to connect Annabah to the Tunisian border.
Most MITAC-COJAAL workers that completed the 220-km Constantine project have been transferred to Camp 7, a project site which has two satellite work sites that need more highly skilled workers, he added.
At COJAAL Satellite No. 3, Mustafa personally saw the working and living conditions of the Filipino workers. “The OFWs there were highly regarded by the COJAAL management as evidenced by the ‘zero’ complaints as to date," he said.
Food and accommodation in the satellite site were not only suitable but also adequate. Each room has four beds, with the building having common entertainment and several comfort rooms, the labor attaché said.
The whole camp also has wireless Internet access, allowing workers to communicate with their families back home.
The labor attaché said that the workers are satisfied with the company’s remittance system, as pay is guaranteed every 16th of the succeeding month and their money being sent in three methods: Money sent 100 percent to an account of the worker’s spouse or family in the Philippines
Money sent to two separate Philippine accounts — worker’s and spouse’s/family’s — with the worker deciding on how much is placed in each
Not more than 20 percent of OFW's salary retained in Algeria and the rest remitted to the Philippines. Mustafa said in all instances, the company shoulders whatever charges these transactions involve.
Meanwhile, Mustafa reported that more than 400 OFWs are at COJAAL Satellite No. 2.
In a dialogue with the workers, Mustafa said the questions raised were mainly about the workers’ deploying agencies: HRD, Camox Philippines, Asia Contract, and WERR.
It was discovered that 20 WERR-deployed OFWs were not verified by POLO. Mustafa said the transfer of COJAAL workers deployed by Asia Contract to a different client was a concern among other OFWs, as the transfer might entail several immigration documents that may delay repatriation back to the Philippines when those workers finish their contracts.
Mustafa also inspected Samsung Co. Ltd., the Korean company which won a contract to build a $5-billion “liquid and gas project" (L&G) at Schikda.
Samsung’s general manager said the company plans to hire an initial 20 professional and highly skilled oil and gas workers, Mustafa said.
The labor attaché said that India-based Doodsal Co. is also involved in Algeria’s L&G project, particularly in Schikda, and currently employs more than 100 Filipinos.
In his meeting with the human resource manager of Doodsal, Mustafa said he mentioned that the workers’ were concerned that the Algerian Labor Law does not offer end-of-service benefits or gratuities to foreign workers who have completed their contracts, unlike in many Middle East countries.
In 2009, there were some 3,200 Filipino workers deployed in Algeria, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration records showed.
But the Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimated there were about 4,900 Filipinos in the North African country as of December 2009. — VS, GMANews.TV
Work Location: DOHA, Qatar
Agency Name: SIM-SOH INTERNATIONAL SERVICES (SIS), INC.
POEA License No.: POEA 287-LB-121707-R
Qualifications
Gender: Male
Age: 23 - 40 years old
Education: at least Bachelor's / College Degree
Experience: 3 year(s)
Job Information
JUNIOR CIVIL ENGINEERS (Tentative Interview December 1st Week)
Principal/Project: MAN ENTERPRISE QATAR
Interview: Dec 1, 2010 - Dec 8, 2010
Job Order
Registration No. 10073179
Validity: Nov 25, 2013
Interested applicants must be:
1. Fluent in English
2. Very Good computer skills in ACAD, EXCEL and WORD
3. PRIMAVERA is a plus
4. Strong personality
5. Motivated.
Interested applicants must submit the following documents before interview date:
• 2-sets of resume with detailed job descriptions
• 2-sets of employment certificate from past to present
• 2-sets of school credentials
• NBI & PASSPORT COPY if any
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
A recruitment and migration expert has called on the government to halt the deployment of Filipinos to South Korea in the wake of a North Korean military attack there that killed 4 people.
A recruitment industry spokesman Emmanuel S. Geslani urged the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which screens workers to Korea, to temporarily stop deployment amid the escalating tension there.
Together with the United States, South Korea announced it will proceed with a naval war game in the coming days. This actually triggered the North to launch an artillery attack on Tuesday.
“The heightened tension now prevailing over the Korean peninsula should be a matter of grave concern for Philippine labor officials and the Department of Foreign Affairs since there are over 60,000 Filipinos in South Korea some 10,000 of them are undocumented,” Geslani said.
Private recruitment agencies have been stripped of the task of deploying workers to South Korea since 2005.
Through the so-called Employment Placement System (EPS), the POEA already undertakes a government-to-government deployment of skilled and unskilled workers for factories and small business enterprises for South Korean businessmen.
Under the system, about 10,000 job opportunities are offered to Filipinos every year.
The system has attracted many Filipinos since its inception because of a no-placement fee rule.
Nonetheless, applicants will have to spend some P50,000 to cover other fees such as POEA processing, $25 contribution to the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration, Visa fees, airline fares, testing fees, etc.
The worker should also take a Korean language training to ensure his or her competitiveness.
This has hampered the POEA from filling in all 10,000 jobs, Geslani noted. In fact, only about 6,000 are deployed every year, he added.
He noted the EPS has been temporarily halted in 2008 due to voluntary resignations. Workers have complained of salary disputes, misunderstandings due to lack of Korean language, delayed salary payments, among others.
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
The Embassy of the State of Qatar is implementing an accreditation system for licensed recruitment agencies in the Philippines. Agencies with visa applications for workers bound for Qatar should send their company profile to the Embassy on or before December 1, 2010. The Embassy is open during weekdays from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon only and will not accept documents after the given deadline.
Work Location: MANAMA, Bahrain
Agency Name: EMPIRE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES, INC.
Gender: Male
Age: 25 - 45 years old
Education: at least Bachelor's / College Degree
Experience: 3 year(s)
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
MAYON INTERNATIONAL TRADING CORPORATION with POEA-161-LB-052808-R is hiring 40 barista, 23-35 years old, male or female at least college level, with at least one year of working experience in coffee shops, hotels, aviation or restaurant.
Applicants should be good looking and presentable, those who have bachelor’s degree and can communicate well using the English language have added advantage.
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE BEYOND THE DATE IT WAS PUBLISHED, PLEASE CONTACT THE AGENCY FIRST TO VERIFY THE POSITION. JUST CLICK THE APPLY NOW TO SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE JOB OPENING.
As mandated by Republic Act 10022, licensed recruitment and manning agencies or foreign employers shall pay for the insurance coverage of workers and seafarers they hire and should be at no cost to the worker or seafarer according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said the agencies should not pass on to their recruits, directly or indirectly, the cost of the insurance premium of the worker or face penalties in accordance with existing POEA rules and regulations.
According to Manalili, a certificate of cover (COC) provided by an insurance company licensed and certified by the Insurance Commission (IC) is required before the issuance of overseas employment certificate (OEC) or exit clearance of agency-hired OFWs.
For seafarers, a certificate of entry or other proofs of insurance coverage from the manning agency shall be accepted if the vessel is covered by protection and indemnity, provided that the minimum coverage under sub-paragraphs (a) to (i) 0f Section 37-A of Republic Act 8042, as amended, are included. The coverage must also conform with pertinent POEA rules and regulations and the POEA Standard Terms and Conditions Governing the Overseas Employment of Filipino Seafarers on Board Ocean-Going Ships.
Manalili said the insurance coverage is optional for name hires, rehires balik-manggagawa or vacationing workers) and workers hired through government-to-government arrangement. They may request their foreign employers to pay the cost of insurance or they may pay the premium themselves.
The insurance coverage shall be effective for the duration of the worker’s employment contract and shall cover, at the minimum, the benefits provided for by the Omnibus Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act 8042 as amended by RA 10022.
The insurance coverage shall include accidental death, natural death, permanent total disablement, repatriation cost, subsistence allowance, settlement claims, compassionate visit, medical evacuation, and medical repatriation.
After 13-years, the ban on recruitment and deployment of au pairs to selected European countries is finally lifted.
POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said the Department of Foreign Affairs imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipina au pairs to Europe in 1997 because of the reported maltreatment of au pairs such as unfair compensation, excessive working hours, discrimination and sexual assault.
Manalili said the POEA Governing Board has issued three separate resolutions this year, allowing the deployment of au pairs to Switzerland, Norway and Denmark after these countries have guaranteed protection for them and agreed to observe the requirements of the Philippine government on the deployment of au pairs.
Au pair is a French term which means “on par” or “equal to”, denoting living on an equal basis in a reciprocal, caring relationship with the host family and the children.
Under the POEA guidelines, a Filipino au pair should be between 18 and 30 years of age, unmarried and without any children, placed under a cultural exchange agreement with the host family for a maximum stay of two years for the purpose of immersion in cultural and language training.
During the employment, the au pair should be enrolled in a school to learn the language of the host country and shall live with the host family and treated on an equal basis with the members of the family.
“The Filipino au pair should be given pocket money, and share in child care or light household chores and other responsibilities previously agreed upon in a contract between the au pair and the host family,” Manalili emphasized.
Manalili said the employer shall pay the cost of hiring a Filipino au pair which consists of visa fee, air fare, POEA processing fee, OWWA membership contribution, and cost of training if required by the employer. The au pair shall pay for her passport, NBI clearance, birth certificate, medical tests, Philhealth insurance, and other personal documents.
Manalili added that deployment of au pairs to Switzerland can only be through recruitment entities authorized by the Swiss Federal Office of Migration. Filipino au pairs bound for Norway and Denmark shall be documented by the POEA as name hires.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warns women applicants against accepting offers of work as entertainers in Cyprus.
POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said some nightclubs in Cyprus are hiring legitimate Filipino entertainers but force them to work as prostitutes.
The Philippine Embassy in Athens reported cases of Filipino entertainers who were beaten and forced to do sex services to customers of night clubs where they were hired to perform as dancers and singers.
The Cyprus Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance issues “entertainer entry visa” to foreigners but Filipina entertainers are being deployed illegally by escort service syndicates because of an existing suspension of deployment of entertainers to Cyprus by virtue of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 33, Series of 1988.
Transnational Services, Inc is currently in search and conducting an interview for 100 licensed female staff nurses. The employer, Magrabi Hospital, will be here in the Philippines to conduct the interview until Friday, November 5, 2210.
Interested applicants should have a minimum 2 years experience after passing the board, age between 23 - 35 years old.
Proposed salary is SR2,100 (basic) plus SR300 food with OT.
Bujeel Medical Services in United Arab Eminrates (UAE), through Power Horizon International Resources, Inc, POEA License No. 019-LB-012507-R is in urgent need of 50 female nurses.
Applicants should not be more than 40 years old, HAAD PASSER with 3 years working experience, with proposed salary of 5,000 – 6,500DHS.
Other available position in Bujeel Medical Services to be posted in Solution Medical Center and Universal Hospital in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya or Libya is making an effort to improve their country’s image after taking responsibility for the bombing in Lockerbie Scotland back in 1988 and renouncing the development of weapon of mass destruction. This made the United Nations (UN) finally lift the sanction thus attracting foreign workers including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to work in the country.
In OFWGuide Forum, a discussion entitled “LIBYA - the sleeping giant awakes!” started by pinoyxpat, reveals the pleasing working environment in Libya as compared to other Middle East countries.
“Ang pagkaka-alam ng iba sa atin eh napaka gulo sa lugar na ito, hindi naman pala, sa tingin ko eh, ito na ang susunod na sentro ng destinasyon ng maraming pinoy OFW dahil sa malaking pagbabago ng kanilang ekonomiya,” pinoyxpat said. (Others thought that this place (Libya) is a riot but it’s actually not, I think this would be the next hot destination to many OFWs because of its growing economy.)
He also cited reasons why OFWs would be encourage seeking work in Libya.
1. Arab country pero mas maluwang ang pamamalakad. (This is an Arab country but rules are very lenient
2. Pwedeng mag-usap ang babae at lalake. (Opposite sex can talk in public)
3. 100% remittance sa pinas, pero pwede naman ang cash advance. (100% remittance in the Philippines but you can avail of cash advance.)
4. Pwede rin ang malalakas na sounds at hindi nagsasara ang mga tindahan tuwing oras ng dasal (Can play music in a maximum volume and stores do not close when they need to pray.)
5. Hindi naka-abaya ang mga babae. (Women are not required to wear abaya)
6. Maganda pa ang sahod ng OFW at mostly yearly ang bakasyon. (Salary is good and once a year vacation)
7. May available na Catholic Church (There is a Catholic church)
Jobseekers and those who are looking for new and better career opportunities should not miss the career event that is set to be a record breaker. The Philippine Star Career Guide in cooperation with ABS CBN Umagang Kay Ganda and TV Patrol World, will hold a local and overseas job fair on October 26-27 at SM Megamall, Megatrade Hall 1 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
The job fair will benefit thousand of Filipinos in search for a good job as more than 5,000 job opportunities from both local and overseas companies awaits qualified applicants! Participating local companies are IBM Daksh, Teleperformance, Accenture, Aegis People Support, APAC, Monark, Sutherland, Citibank, Philam Life, Banco De Oro, JP Morgan Chase & Company, Home Depot, Convergys, Sykes Asia, Infosys, Telus, Hinduja, West Contact, OCE Business, PLDT, Smooth Moves, Concepcion-Carrier, Smart Communications, Micro Sourcing, Concentrix, TeleTech, Stellar and Rainmaker.
This career event is open to all jobseekers 18 years old and above who is either high school graduate, college undergraduate or graduate. All jobseekers are asked to prepare their most recent and comprehensive bio-data or resume with 2x2 picture attached or scanned.
All jobseekers are also advised to be in a proper attire and refrain themselves from wearing inappropriate clothes and apparel such as shorts, sandos and slippers.
Remember:
What: Lingkod Kapamilya Job Fair
When: October 26-27, 2010, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Where: SM Megamall, Megatrade Hall 1, Mandaluyong City.
Those who will attend are advised to pre-register: http://workabroad.p/kapamilyajobfair.php
Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Rosalinda Baldoz warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) about illegal recruiters of non-existing jobs in Syria.
“It has been reported to me by our labor attaché in Damascus, Mr. Angel Borja, that there are still Filipinos who enter that country under dubious circumstances, meaning, they go there as illegally-recruited migrants. This is most dangerous,” Baldoz said.
Recently, the labor secretary exposed a human trafficking scam in Mississippi in the United States that victimized 23 Filipinos.
According to her, illegal recruiters used the same modus operandi of deceiving prospective job seekers with supposed high paying jobs in the Middle East.
Despite of the continuous campaign and warning against illegal recruiters, DoLE continues to receive reports of workers illegally recruited according to Baldoz.
“Illegal recruiters continue to prey on unsuspecting workers by dishing out promises of fantastic salaries for non-existent jobs,” Baldoz said.
In Damascus, she said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, which only opened in August 2009, has been closely monitoring the entry of Filipinos to the region using Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Kuwait as jump-off points to Syria.
She said it was part of the department’s mandate to monitor OFWs to protect them from abuses and falling prey to white slavery.
She bared that despite the absence of a bilateral agreement with Syria, the POLO has accredited 20 licensed overseas recruitment agencies that are authorized to recruit OFWs for Syria’s emerging oil and gas industry.
Thirty four persons, including three foreign nationals, were charged Tuesday for allegedly defrauding at least 19 jobseekers, mostly nurses, of P300,000 each, in exchange for high-paying jobs in the United Kingdom.
Charged with syndicated and large scale illegal recruitment and estafa in the Makati Prosecutor’s Office were Timothy Malcolm Sargeant, 53, and Karen Denise Wood, 38, both British nationals; Kenyan Paul Maundu Nyamai, 33, and the Filipino staff of the employment agency International Student Advisors 4U Inc. (ISA).
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Transnational Crime Division of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group during an entrapment operation in their office at Mavenue Building, Guerrero Street, Makati Avenue, Makati City.
Senior Supt. Gilbert Sosa, chief of the CIDG-ATCD, said several other officials and employees of ISA are still at large, including the owners, Philip Leonard, a British national, and his wife, Bernalyn Nacionales-Leonard.
Also named respondents were officials and employees of Faces and Shots Video Editing Inc. and Sir Philip Leonard Learning Center Inc.
Sosa said ISA, Faces and Shots Video Editing Inc. and Sir Philip Leonard Learning Center Inc. serve as one-stop shops for illegal recruitment activities of the respondents through a student visa scheme.
Under its Securities and Exchange Commission registration, the agency is only limited to providing advisory and marketing consultancy services for training college and university courses in foreign countries.
However, on their official website, the firm reportedly advertises their capability to bring nurses and health care professionals to the UK on a “Study and Work” program.
Many of the complainants said they applied for on-the-job training offered by the company because it promised big salaries as nurses and caregivers in the UK.
Each was required to pay amounts ranging from P300,000 to P650,000.
A verification with the POEA showed that the respondents and ISA were not authorized to recruit and deploy workers abroad.
I am applying for a new visa application. I completed medicals for my last visa application. Can I use these again?
In some circumstances, you can use previous medicals to demonstrate that you meet the health requirement for a new visa application. This process is known as
“re-use”.
Circumstances in which you can re-use medicals from 9 November 2009 onwards are summarized in the table on the reverse of this sheet. However, your case officer can still ask you to complete new medicals if they consider it appropriate.
What has changed for 9 November 2009?
From 9 November 2009, if you are applying for a permanent visa, you will not* be allowed to re-use health examination reports that you obtained for a temporary visa.
Example 1: If you completed a chest x-ray and a medical examination for your student visa application, you will no longer be able to complete an outstanding HIV test (as required for permanent visas) and have your previous health examination reports ‘upgraded’ (a new chest x-ray (form 160), medical examination (form 26) and an HIV test will be required for your permanent visa application).
Example 2: If you completed a chest x-ray for your subclass 457 visa application, you will no longer be able to complete a medical examination and an HIV test (as required for permanent visas) and have your chest x-ray report ’upgraded’ (a new chest x-ray (form 160), medical examination (form 26) and an HIV test will be required for your permanent visa application).
*There are very limited exceptions in which you may still be able to re-use. Your case officer will advise you if these exceptions apply to you, or whether you need to complete new medicals. If you need to complete new medicals, you can get details on fees and further information at:
In Australia: Medibank Health Solutions See: www.medibankhealth.com.au
Outside Australia: Consult you panel doctor for information. Fees should be similar to those charged locally for a comprehensive examination or report by a qualified medical practitioner.
Why the change in arrangements?
These changes are being put in place to ensure that the processing of your permanent visa applications is not delayed unnecessarily.
The re-use process when an applicant is moving from a temporary to a permanent visa is not straightforward because health examination reports must be re-assessed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC). This is because the MOC must take into account the applicant’s proposed indefinite stay in Australia. This re-assessment process was resulting in processing delays and, in some cases, clients still had to complete new medicals.
These arrangements will be reconsidered once the department has further developed its electronic storage facilities for medicals and can provide an efficient ’upgrade’ process for clients.
Where can I get more information?
More information is available by contacting the department.
Phone: 131 881
Website: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/index.htm
When can I “re-use” my medicals?
Same tests required for new application
If your new visa application requires you to complete the same health tests as your previous visa application did, you may be able to re-use your ’health clearance‘ (where the department has made the decision that you have met the health requirement) for your new visa application. However, to be able to re-use your health clearance you must fall into one of the categories in the table below: Type of Visa Applicant:
Example:
A health clearance can be re-used if:
Exceptions – Re-use will not be allowed if:
Temporary visa holder - applying for a new temporary visa, and;
Stay in Australia NOT extended.
Student visa holder applies for a different type of Student visa for the same stay period.
No additional medical tests are required for the new visa application
The original clearance is still valid
Possible deception is discovered by the Department in relation to the client’s previous medicals
The applicant’s health has significantly deteriorated since the original health clearance (not including pregnancy)
If the applicant has not complied with a health undertaking
Temporary visa holder - applying for a new temporary visa, and;
Stay in Australia extended.
Visitor visa holder applies for a Student visa that will extend their intended stay in Australia.
No additional medical tests are required for the new visa application
The original clearance is still valid and was a local clearance***
Temporary visa holder - applying for a permanent visa, and;
‘Permanent medicals’* completed “upfront” for the temporary visa
Subclass 457 visa holder, who completed full permanent medicals for their 457 application, applies for a permanent skilled visa.
The original clearance is still valid
The original clearance was cleared to a permanent standard
Provisional visa holder - applying for a permanent visa, and;
‘Permanent medicals’** completed “upfront” for the provisional visa
Business skills visa holder, at the “second stage” of processing, applies for their permanent visa.
The applicant originally undertook ‘permanent medicals’#
On September 22, 2010, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) met with the US State Department’s Chief of Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim. This is the division tasked with distributing all immigrant visas available in a fiscal year for family and employment-based green cards. It also publishes the monthly Visa Bulletin which announces visa availability in an upcoming month. The Visa Bulletin is closely monitored by immigrants for progression towards their respective priority dates, or place in line for green cards.
The Visa Control and Reporting Division has been carefully monitoring the demand for visa numbers across the various categories and has seen a big uptick in demand for numbers in some areas, with drops in others. What this means is that where there are upticks, these categories can expect retrogression or very slow progress in visa number availability. In contrast, where demand has decreased, visa number availability should improve with a reduction or elimination of visa retrogression.
Mr. Oppenheim notes that there has been a significant drop in demand for family-based (F) categories. Consequently, there has been significant movement forward in these categories. The F2 category is seeing the strongest jump forward. This includes the unmarried children over 21 of lawful permanent residents (F2B), and the spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents (F2A). The F2A category is experiencing the most dramatic drop in demand and Oppenheim predicts that by the February 2011 visa bulletin, this category may be current or close to being current.
Previously because of the long wait in the F-2A category, usually over 5 years for most permanent residents, it was faster to apply for US citizenship and then sponsor their wives and children. Spouses and single children under 21 of US citizens are not subject to immigrant visa quotas. Visa numbers are always available for them. So, less people applied for their spouses and children, allowing more visa numbers to become available.
As of the writing of this article, the typical wait time for an F-2A priority date to become current is 6 months. Only 6 moths ago, the wait was approximately 4 years! This is fantastic news for permanent residents who have recently married and need to petition their new spouses, children or step children. The long waits usually meant they had to live apart until the permanent resident spouse became a US citizen. If Oppenheim’s predictions are correct, there may be no backlog as of February 2011. Now more than ever, it makes sense for permanent residents to petition their spouses and children as quickly as possible in order to take advantage of the rapid forward movement for the F2 category.
In contrast, Mr. Oppenheim noted that in the employment-based categories (EB), his division has seen a swelling in demand for numbers. This is based on beneficiaries of employment-based green card sponsorship marrying and having children which reduces the total visa numbers available. Each member of the family will require an employment-based visa number, not just the sponsored worker. For example, if four visa numbers remain for a particular EB visa, and a person is second in line, there is no guarantee that this person will get the green card. If the first person in line has a wife and two children immigrating with him, all four visa numbers will be used by that first person in line. Mr. Oppenheim expects employment-based visa numbers to remain oversubscribed and to move slowly forward. His short-term prediction is that any forward movement of priority dates for the next few months in the EB categories will only be a few weeks at a time.
The news from the AILA meeting has been a mixed bag of good and bad news. Family-based categories will experience shorter waits for priority dates to become current, but employment-based will see increases. Until Congress increases visa numbers or the methodology in which they can be distributed, frustrating backlogs will have to be endured. In prior years, employment-based categories experience the least amount of delay. The pendulum has temporarily swung back to family-based visas. Lawful permanent residents should take advantage of this break while it lasts, because, unlike their immigration status, it will not be permanent.
Author's Note: The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the individual legal research and personalized representation that is essential to every case.
Robert L. Reeves is a licensed California attorney and is certified by the California State Bar as an Immigration and Nationality Law Specialist. He has been specializing in immigration law for over 30 years and is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, several US District Courts and California State Courts. He is the Managing Partner of Reeves & Associates with offices located in Pasadena, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City – Unit 507 Tower One Ayala Triangle, also known as the Philippine Stock Exchange Plaza Makati , 6767 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Philippines 1226 (corner Paseo de Roxas, beside Ninoy Aquino Monument). Philippine Contact Numbers: 759-6777 or Toll Free: 1-800-10-773-3837 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com
"Happiest Photo in Your Workplace Contest!" Post the happiest picture of you with your officemates/friends in your office/field work/outing (anything related to your work) with a brief description about the photo and WorkAbroad.ph link (http://www.workabroad.ph/list_specific_jobs.php?by_what=date
) IN THEIR FACEBOOK WALL. DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE THE CAPTION AND THE LINK.
The BEST PHOTO with the MOST LIKES will win P500 Mobile Load. 1 entry per participant only. Criteria: Quality: 50% Likes 50%. Submission of entry is until FRIDAY (Oct. 8, 2010)Winner will be announced on the same day.
Being away from family and friends is one of the most if not the most difficult part of being an OFW. Sadly there are times when privilege of earning big salary and the opportunity to work in a foreign environment resulted to broken marriages or estrangement from friends and loves ones.
It is a blessing that advancement in technology made it so much easier and cheaper for people to keep in touch despite the great distance. One fun and costless way that an OFW can stay close with their loved ones in the Philippines is by joining social networking sites. Aside from being updated with what is happening in the Philippines, they can also find new friends and earn tips on how to succeed with their overseas career by connecting with fellow OFWs all over the world.
Manitoba, a province in Canada needs to hire lots of foreign workers such as plumbers, engineers, and carpenters and they prefer Filipino workers. To meet the labor demands of the province, the provincial government of Manitoba recently signed an agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The said agreement provides the details of the partnership that would result to the recruitment of skilled OFWs to Manitoba. It also contains guidelines to ensure welfare and protection of skilled OFWs. It was signed by Labor Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz and Manitoba Premier, Greg Selinger at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.
According to the official from Manitoba, the agreement was fair to both parties. Selinger said, "For us, it's an equal partnership. Nobody's better than the other."
Baldoz on the other hand informed that since the population of Manitoba is aging and they are currently suffering from low birth rate, the Canadian province is expected to hire an estimate of 20,000 new workers every year by 2016.
The Labor chief said, "In the next thee years, the number of retirements is expected to increase by 30 percent and the need for more workers, including the transfer of work-based knowledge, will be very critical to Manitoba's labor force stability."
She added, "Also, I understand that Manitoba has low birth and unemployment rates and the province looks at annual immigration targets (of) around 20,000 by 2016 to shore up its manpower banks. Current arrivals number only a little half of the yearly target."
Selinger agreed with what Baldoz said. He said, "As Secretary Baldoz said, many of our existing labor forces are five to 10 years away from retirement. (This is) the baby boomer generation. (So) this opens up opportunities all across the board—in the trades like carpentry, plumbing, electricians."
"This also opens up opportunities in the professions—engineers, accountants, medical professionals, nurses and doctors. We believe we'll have opportunities all across the labor spectrum in Manitoba," Selinger added.
According to Selinger, hired skilled OFWs in Manitoba Canada can apply for Canadian citizenship only after six months of working there.
Share your trusted agency and tell what made them the best agency. (NOTE: The agency must be a POEA-registered and is a member of WorkAbroad.ph) Along with your answer is the link of the agency's page at WorkAbroad.ph! (Agencies are located at this link: http://www.workabroad.p/list_all_jobs.php?by_what=agency
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Sali na!
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), together with the Department of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies with overseas Filipino workers-related mandates, yesterday issued the rules and regulations covering the implementation of Republic Act No. 10022, shifting up to a higher gear the government of President Benigno S. Aquino III toward the protection of the welfare and interest of eight million overseas Filipino workers.
R. A. 10022 is officially titled the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, As Amended, Further Improving the Standard of Protection and Promotion of the Welfare of Migrant Workers, Their Families and Overseas Filipinos in Distress, and For Other Purposes.
“The implementation of R. A. 10022 is a challenge that puts the DOLE at an even bigger forefront of OFW social protection,” said Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, who had brushed aside comments that OFWs had been “forgotten” when President Aquino did not mention them in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.
“This is the government’s answer to those comments,” she said, noting that with R.A. 10022, the groundwork has been laid for the expanded protection of the country’s “modern-day heroes” in pursuit of the President’s 22-point agenda for labor and employment.
Baldoz emphasized that 11 of the 22 items in the agenda are OFW-related and that the 11 agenda items are for the protection of OFWs and for enhancing their competitiveness.
The rules and regulations spell out in details the salient protective measures of the new law, among which are:
Emphasis on stronger bilateral and multilateral relations with receiving countries for protection. Interpreting provision of free skills and livelihood programs as expanding free access to such programs;
Criteria for host countries (guaranteeing protection), subject to concurrence to “take positive and concrete measures” to protect the rights of migrant workers; and clarifying a three-step process that involves a) DFA certifications on compliance by host countries; b) POEA resolution allowing deployment to complying host countries; and c) POEA processing of workers’ documents to countries identified in POEA resolutions.
Inclusion of amendments to prohibited acts that may constitute illegal recruitment by licensed and unlicensed agencies, as well as other prohibited acts, such as loans, decking practice in OFW medical examinations; and recruitment by suspended agencies;
Anti-illegal recruitment programs that include institutionalizing the role of LGUs; added capability of POEA lawyers; prosecution; and operation and surveillance to apprehend illegal recruiters;
Money claims. Inclusion of voluntary arbitration;
Repatriation and mechanism for repatriation. Responsibility for repatriation with principal/employer and licensed recruitment agency; 48-hour notice rule and 15-day period for countries with exit visa requirements; provisions on repatriation of underage workers and asserting penalties and liabilities for recruiters who recruit underage migrant workers;
Overseas Filipino Resource Centers will now have additional required personnel, such as psychologists, etc. and be under direct POLO supervision;
Institutionalizing the National Reintegration Center for OFWs;
Protection from abusive medical clinics;
Ensuring the use of the legal assistance fund for foreign lawyers and attorneys’ fees and for filing of cases against erring or abusive employers;
Compulsory insurance to cover agency-hired workers for accidental death, natural death, permanent total disablement, repatriation costs, subsistence allowance benefit, money claims, compassionate visit, medical evaluation, and medical repatriation.
“With the publication of the implementing rules and regulations, I now direct the family of agencies under the DOLE that have OFW-related mandates to craft their own internal rules and regulations for the smooth operationalization and implementation of the provisions of the law,” Baldoz said.
The processing of passports at Mobile Passport Services is guided by the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 and its implementing rules and regulations, other relevant Department Orders, Circulars and Memoranda.
Participation in the Mobile Passport Services must be coordinated with the Passport Coordinator designated by the Local Government Unit (LGU) in advance. The designated LGU Passport Coordinator will collect copies of the application forms from interested applicants at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled date of the mobile passport service.
The LGU Passport Coordinator will inform the applicant of the indicative time during which he or she will have to file the passport application on the scheduled date of the Mobile Passport Service.
Personal appearance is a requirement for all passport applicants except for minors who are 8 years old and below and senior citizens who are 65 years old and above
The Mobile Passport Service will not accept applications for the replacement of lost valid passports but will entertain applications for lost expired passports.
The Mobile passport fee is same with the Expedite Rate.
For Any Details please call RCOCC at 834-4000
LOCAL NOS. 2406 - 2410 or 836-7750
The Jong Phil Language Center Inc. (JPLCI) of Korea, in cooperation with the Public Employment and Service Office (PESO) of Antipolo City, will hire at least 6,000 Filipino workers as factory workers is waiting for residents of Antipolo City.
Qualified worker can earn P30,000 a month, and this may go up to P50,000 once he renders overtime work. The workers would be given free housing, too.
According to JPLCI, they want to hire Filipino workers because they are hardworking and diligent.
“We choose Filipino workers because they are very hardworking and diligent people. Better than (any other) country,” said JPLCI board member Hong Song.
JPLCI president JP Choi said applicants must be able to speak and understand the Korean language.
“If we have hopes for a better life then we should start planning now. This is why we are providing the opportunity for the people to realize those dreams,” said PESO chief Roger Atim.
Choi called on Antipolo residents who are looking for jobs in Korea to attend the Korean language lessons they are offering.
Choi said applicants do not need to have experience or any educational attainment. They just need to be 18 to 37 years old and must be able to pass the Korean Language Test. Applicants must also submit the required documents.
For more details, interested parties may visit the PESO office at the fourth floor of the Antipolo City Hall. Registration will be from Sept. 19 to Sept. 23.
