“Faster deployment process!” “ No fees charged!” “Guaranteed employment!” These are common phrases to hear from people offering overseas jobs, but it’s also important to verify these promises.
According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), about 4,500 Filipinos leave this country everyday to work abroad and the United States remains one of the most popular destinations.
Some job-seekers rely on POEA’s direct hiring scheme. Many also seek the assistance of local recruitment agencies for their employment processing and documentation. A recruitment agency can help, but there are some factors you should consider when working with a recruitment agency.
1. POEA accreditation. All recruitment agencies are required to be accredited. You can check the status of an agency’s license online at POEA Agency Verification.
2. POEA regulations state that overseas positions require a valid job order (JO). You can search available JOs at the POEA JO Portal.
3. The Visa fee, Airplane Ticket, OWWA Membership Fee and POEA Processing Fees must be shouldered either by the agency or by the employer, and not by you. See POEA guidelines for more on what is and is not allowed.
4. U.S. immigration and labor laws state that petitioners and agencies cannot charge you fees. If you are being charged a placement fee or an agency asks for money before returning your passport, please write to us at CONSManilaNIV@state.gov.
All applicants for non-immigrant visas to work in the United States, even with documentation from the POEA and an employer, still need to interview with a consular officer to ensure they are qualified. Please remember that there is no secret in applying for a U.S. Visa. – all the necessary information is available at the Embassy website.
1. Hi, my name is… Jennifer
2. I’m from… Virginia
3. My home state/city is known for… history (Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, historic plantations, Monticello, James Madison’s home, Arlington Cemetery); wine; nature (Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, Chincoteague/Assateague Island, Great Falls)
4. My favorite thing about my home state is… it’s diversity – of people, geography and communities. Northern Virginia is part of the suburbs of Washington, DC. It is home to powerful politicians, wealthy consultants and contractors, dedicated public servants, and scores of recent immigrants. The beach communities of Virginia are dominated by Norfolk where the Naval Air Station is home to many U.S. service members, and the nearby colonial areas are home to “old money” and historical families. Central Virginia is home to the capital of the State, Richmond, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The University is very historical (founded by Thomas Jefferson) and one of the best in the region. There are also lots of horse farms and wineries in this region. And Southwest Virginia is very agricultural, with beautiful rural small towns and the small-community spirit.
5. If you came to visit me, I’d take you… Central Virginia. We’d see history at Monticello and the University of Virginia, we’d see beautiful countryside as we tour wineries, we’d boat and play on Lake Anna, and we’d put on hats and white gloves and watch the Foxfield horse races.
6. Things you have to try before you leave… Virginia ham biscuits
7. My favorite place in the U.S. is… Virginia, of course!
8. You’ll have to take home… Virginia wine.
9. My advice to immigrant visa applicants: Take your time when you arrive. It’s a challenge to set up a new life in a new place. There’s a lot to learn, nothing happens the way you think it will, it takes time to make friends and establish community connections. Don’t expect it all to fall into place quickly and easily. It’ll take time, but in the end it’s worth the effort!
We’re doing our best to answer your questions about applying for U.S. visas. In addition to the detailed info and FAQs on the Embassy website, we’ve added new FAQs for non-immigrant visas.
Have a look, and write us a comment if you have any questions that we haven’t thought of yet!
Beginning May 8, 2013, the Immigrant Visa Unit will no longer accept walk-in inquiries. Exceptions may be granted in case of emergencies (i.e., ageing out cases, visa correction requests, and expiring visas).
Applicants who need to submit additional documentation should proceed to the 2GO outlets at Robinsons Place Manila or SM Mall of Asia. Alternatively, the documentation may be sent to the U.S. Embassy via any branch of 2GO courier service (Attn: Immigrant Visa Unit) together with a copy of our 221g refusal letter (MNL-IV-22A).
Returning resident applicants, however, may continue to submit completed returning resident application forms at Window 38 every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. For more information on the Returning Resident process, click here.
Applicants with specific questions regarding their case should contact the Immigrant Visa unit by email at IVManilaReplies@state.gov.
Are you applying for a B1/B2 visas with a group? Why not request a group appointment?
To qualify for a group appointment, your group of three to ten people must:
• apply for B1/B2 visa
• travel together for the same purpose,
• travel on or around the same date
Examples of groups include sports teams, choir groups, school groups, and groups traveling for competitions. Please note that family members traveling together do not qualify. If your group has more than 10 members, you have to make a separate request for them. If you have too many people on one application, the request for group appointment will be refused.
Going as a group? Request for group appointments
If the Embassy approves the request, you will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule the group appointment. Please ensure that each group member has not booked or scheduled an individual appointment yet or they will not be added to the group unless you cancel the existing appointment.
To request a Group Appointment, please complete the steps online and appear for your interview. For general information regarding group appointments, please visit the online appointment website or call the Embassy call center.
If you’ve traveled with a group before, tell us about your experience!
The Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Units are temporarily closed to the public on May 13, 2013. Applicants with appointments scheduled on that date will be contacted by the Embassy call center to reschedule their appointments.
Alternatively, you may contact the Embassy’s call center at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday) to reschedule your own appointment.
If you received a 221(g) letter after your interview because your application requires further administrative processing, you can check your case status online.
Every applicant applying for a nonimmigrant visa should prepare all the basic application requirements before coming in for an interview. It should contain most of the information needed by the Consular Officer to adjudicate the visa.
Salamat sa mga readers for making Visatisfied Voyager the 2nd most popular State Department blog in 2012! We had 114,560 visits to our site!
We hope you continue reading in 2013. And keep your questions coming. We are here to help.
Is there a topic you would like more information on? Let us know!
Bong Voyage, our perpetual immigrant visa applicant, is at the U.S. Embassy for his visa interview.
Si Bong Voyage, ang ating habang panahong immigrant visa applicant ay kasalukuyang nasa U.S. Embassy para sa kanyang visa interbyu.
Consul Jimmy Murdochs: Magandang Umaga, Mr Voyage. Dahil ikaw ay nagaaplay ngayon para sa iyong E3 employment visa, ang tanong ko, ikaw ba ay tumira o nagtrabaho sa labas ng Pilipinas dati?
An example of an Omani police clearance