Filipinos who wish to work abroad should ensure that they have proper working documents to avoid unnecessary trouble with authorities. This mean that recruiters who offer tourist visas to applicants who intend to work abroad are engaging in illegal recruitment.

This fact is reiterated in the recent advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that unveiled the modus of illegal recruiters that sends Filipinos to Malaysia for bogus jobs and without proper working documents. The said scam promise clueless applicants that they can convert their social visit passes (tourist visa) to work permits after paying huge amounts.
 

The statement from the DFA said, “The [Philippine] Embassy [in Kuala Lumpur] has received information and is acting on complaints from Filipinos about individuals who promise to convert their Social Visit Passes (or tourist visas) into work visas in exchange for money.”

“Please be informed that foreigners, including Filipinos who travel to Malaysia as tourists, cannot work there legally,” it added.

The DFA also relayed the report from the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia, that it had already documented many Filipinos who fell victim to the scheme.

The DFA explained, “Unsuspecting victims initially come to Malaysia as tourists but tried to look for jobs while they were there. They then get ‘referrals’ from other individuals, and then give their money and passports to these ‘agents’ who promise to get them work visas.”

The DFA reminds aspiring overseas workers to always be vigilant in dealing with unlicensed individuals or purported placement agencies before coming to Malaysia for a job.

The agency also advised applicants to validate job openings in Malaysia to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) in Manila or the Embassy’s Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).