The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is serious to end the bad endeavors of illegal recruiters. Just last week, POEA have terminated the licenses of two recruitment agencies due to excessive collection of placement fees in violation of the POEA rules and regulations.

To help jobseekers identify illegal recruiters, POEA lists down the characteristics of an illegal recruiter:

1. An illegal recruiter would ask applicants to pay for Placement Fee and other fees without giving official receipts.

2. An illegal recruiter would promise applicants to be deployed as soon as possible

3. An illegal recruiter would require applicants to undergo medical examination even without being hired by an employer and no existing contract.

4. Transactions are made in public places (restaurants, malls,) and not in their main office.

5. There are illegal recruiters who go house to house to recruit applicants.

6. Some illegal recruiters offer direct-hiring jobs without going to POEA for documentation.

7. Offers tourist or visit visa to applicants instead of a working visa.

8. Can’t provide legitimate employment contract or working visa.

9. There are recruiters who claims that they are part of a POEA accredited agencies but can’t provide identification card.

10. Recruiters who claimed that they are connected with  travel agencies or training centers.

11. Asking applicants to recruit relatives or friends for faster deployment.

12. Fixers outside POEA who promise applicants for faster processing of their application.