Overseas Filipino Workers:
The POEA Process For Agency-Hired OFWs 

Do you want to belong to the agency-hired Overseas Filipino Workers? Then apply for a job posted by a Philippine recruitment agency. The agency will help you process your papers if you get the job. And be prepared before going to an agency.

You may be land-based or sea-based. And the challenge is to ensure that the agency has a license to recruit and place workers abroad. Check the license of the agency with the POEA or Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Avoid being a victim of illegal recruitment. It is better to be on the side of caution before it is too late.

Look for agencies with Excellence and Top Performer awards. These agencies stand out in the field of overseas employment. They help uplift the quality of life of millions of OFWs through gainful jobs abroad.

If you are government-hired or planning to apply to a foreign government agency or entity, read the process here.

Agency-hired Overseas Filipino Workers:Requirements and fees

Your agency will submit your papers to the POEA. It will help you prepare the proper documents:

Land-based

  1. Duly accomplished OFW Information Sheet
  2. Your Verified Employment Contract
  3. PDOS Certificate, National Certificate (NC) II, Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program (CPDEP) Certificate from OWWA (For HSWs)
  4. Verified Insurance Policy

Sea-based

  1. Seafarer's Information Sheet
  2. Your Employment Contract (original and duplicate)
  3. Seafarer's Registration Certificate (SRC) (original)
  4. Seafarer's Identification and Record Book (SIRB) (original)

Fees

Recruitment agencies will charge service fees from your employer as payment for services rendered in recruiting you. The employer also pays the cost of:

  •  PHP200.00 - POEA Processing Fee
  • US$25.00 (PHP equivalent) - OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) Membership Contribution (valid for two years)
  • PHP900.00 - PhilHealth-Medicare (for one year coverage)

Your agency is allowed to collect from you a placement fee equivalent to your one month salary, except in countries prohibiting collection of fees from workers. But there are agencies that collect much more than that, without receipts.

The process for agency-hired Overseas Filipino Workers

Your agency will bring your papers to the POEA for processing. POEA will check the papers and then ask for payment of your OWWA contribution, PhilHealth-Medicare and POEA processing fee. Your agency will collect these fees from your employer.

The POEA will issue your E-receipt upon payment of the fees. The E-receipt serves as your POEA travel exit clearance. This attests that your recruitment was proper and your papers valid. The E-receipt serves as your guarantee that you are covered by government protection and benefits.

The E-receipt exempts you from travel tax and airport terminal fee. You need to present it at the POEA Labor Assistance Center (LAC) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) counter at the airport before departure.

The process takes 4 hours to complete through manual submission.

Requirements, fees and process came from the POEA Citizen's Charter.

Going through an agency may be the best way of getting your dream job abroad. This process is not without issues, though. Ensure that the agency's license and job orders are valid. Then you will belong to the agency-hired Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs.

Overseas FilipinosPrepare Going Abroad › Agency-Hired OFWs

Like this page?

Facebook Comments

Have your say about this page! Leave a comment in the box below.
Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Here's how to pay it forward...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.