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Filipinos and POLO The good,The bad and The in between about Julve and Company

BCguy

Champion Member
Jul 26, 2008
2,041
43
Vancouver British Columbia
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
LANDED..........
16-03-1976
POLO is the shortcut for the Philippine Overseas labour offices in Toronto and Vancouver,The new laws require all jobs to be authenticated by POLO before a Filipino contract worker can depart the Philippines to leave for Canada.This has led to lots of red tape,But at the same time has reduced the number of Filipinos victimized by fake job offers.Filipinos on the other hand have lost jobs because of the red tape which turns off Canadian Employers.So hopefully If Filipinos have concerns about POLO,It can covered here.
 

mace

Member
Oct 25, 2008
10
1
my brother who just got his visa 2 weeks ago can't attend the PDOS (pre departure orientation seminar) by POEA in the philippines. He was asked to have his contract attested by POLO in Calgary, and upto now it wasn't done by the agency and his employer. we are crossing our fingers that sooner he will leave heading to Canada.
 

BCguy

Champion Member
Jul 26, 2008
2,041
43
Vancouver British Columbia
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
LANDED..........
16-03-1976
If you need help with POLO contact me by PM to help documents move faster and POLO is in Vancouver not Calgary,Documents are sent to Vancouver
 

paulie

Full Member
Oct 7, 2008
35
1
Thanks again BCguy for starting this thread and for all the assitance and information you have provided in this forum.

As far as the POLO authentication requirement is concerned I feel its just another "red" tape of the Philippine goverment (on top of a long list of "to do's" before you can leave the Phils). At the same time it can be another hindrance for Canadian employer's NOT TO HIRE filipinos because of TOO MUCH requirement from the Phil govt. I can understand the reason for having this requirement, but isn't it enough that an LMO and an employment contract is part of the required document before a working visa is issued by the CIC? Plus, after the visa is issued the worker is required by the Phil govt to pay, submit docs and attend the PDOS before he can leave the philippines....don't you think the POLO requirement is already an overkill?????
 

BCguy

Champion Member
Jul 26, 2008
2,041
43
Vancouver British Columbia
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
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Actually I agree that it is another red tape but Unfortunately Contracts have to be authenticated,Another 2 filipinos were brought today to our office by the Multicultural Helping house who arrived without a job even with a contract and LMO,Currently in the Black Market LMO is sellng for about 2,000 dollars.The LMO is real,But Job is none existant.The Multicultural Helping House is a Service society.The trick is to keep the workers in small batches to require ONLY Authentication,The other option is to bring them in as PNP,That way there is no POLO,Because this is Immigration which POLO cannot control or interfere with.
 

c.serrano

Member
Nov 14, 2008
13
0
Paulie, and to make matters worse, have you read POEA's new GUIDELINES ON THE RECRUITMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF FILIPINO WORKERS TO CANADA or MC no. 6 Series of 2008? Here is the link: http://www.poea.gov.ph/MCs/MC%206-08.pdf

First, they want all Canadian Employers to be registered with the POEA, which means more documents and red tape. The employer's registration will only be valid for 4 years. And check out Section IV Costs of Recruitment; The good people over at POEA now want employers to pay for the worker's visa fee ($150) and for the POEA processing fee (P6,900), both of which used to be the responsibility of the worker. Why not throw in the the medical examination (P4,000), passport (P600), NBi clearance (P300), and others along? I'm sure the employers in Canada wouldn't mind.

I wonder what the POEA and POLO want to implement next. Someday they might want to require employers to appear personally in their offices, with gifts and offerings.

One more thing, about the airfare. A colleague of mine has a cook who recently received his visa. In the addendum that Julve wants to have them sign, it says that air fare is shouldered by the employer. However, Canada's Employment and Immigration only requires employers to pay for airfare for semi-skilled workers (front desk, food servers, etc.). For cooks and other high-skilled work that belong to NOC Category O, A, and B, workers may shoulder the airfare. My colleague informed Mr. Julve of this fact but then Julve answered him saying that the airfare should always be shouldered by the employer, regardless of NOC Category and Canadian rules. So in other words, what he's saying is he doesn't give a rat's behind what the Canadians think about the rule on airfare.
 

BCguy

Champion Member
Jul 26, 2008
2,041
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Vancouver British Columbia
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16-03-1976
Terribile Isnt it,I know of an International Chain Hotel originally planning tohire workers from the Philippines shifting to China and Indonesia.Maybe the Ministry of Labour of China should pay the costs of the POLO office for creating more Chinese jobs
 

c.serrano

Member
Nov 14, 2008
13
0
Why I think the POLO verification is a BIG JOKE (that isn't at all funny)

Two of the documents required by the POLO before they "allow" Filipino workers to leave for Canada are a photocopy of the business license and photocopy of the employer's ID. Tell me, how hard is it to fake these two photocopied documents? What prevents a fake employer with a scanner and some photoshop skills, earning P400,000 per worker, from sending Mr. Julve fake credentials?

The unfortunate thing is that workers who are bound to Canada and have legitimate job offers and employers are affected. Their employers say no to them because they don't want to bother with these new hurdles.

BCGuy, I'm quite curious, if you would have turned over the two Filipinos you're helping at the Multicultural Helping House to POLO, PCG, or Mr. Julve what would their course of action be? Those 2 Filipinos paid an OWWA membership before they left, but what's OWWA doing for them now?

I believe that the government has enough regulation as it is and adding more would be counterproductive. What the government lacks is THE ABILITY TO DISSEMINATE THE NEEDED AND CORRECT INFORMATION to its people. Last month, there was a press release saying that there are more than 10,000 jobs waiting for Filipinos in Canada. The following day the POEA was flocked by job applicants from all corners of the country. At the gates, the people were told that there are no job openings in POEA and that they should go to the licensed recruitment agenicies with approved job orders instead. Wasn't this piece of information useful beforehand?

Very recently, the Canadian Embassy in Manila includes a very nice and comprehensive brochure together with the visa. It includes information on what the worker should expect and what are their rights as temporary foreign workers and who to contact if there are any concerns whatsoever. The Philippines, on the other hand, charges workers and subjects them to a pile of bureaucracy and headache.

Many FIlipinos are desperate to work in Canada and they're susceptible to any offer or false infomration that they can get. They don't know that it's illegal to pay P400,000 to recruiters. They don't know that some employers may be bogus. I know of many cases where applicants are charged P7,000 just so the recruiter will accept their resume. Even legitimate POEA registered recruiters charge an "english fee", "training fee", or what have you because a placement fee is illegal and what they charge is "different".

POEA gladly lists all the POEA registered agencies. How about list the names of the illegal recruiters who the public should stay away from? How would people know that they should not have been doing business with those fake companies if the government does not announce who these are.

In this mess we have here, I remember the saying: "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure."
 

solowista_07

Full Member
Sep 28, 2008
35
0
Honestly, I was so happy to hear that the government of Canada opens a big door to all Filipinos.

Am here in Dubai and am so lucky to get a job in Alberta thru on line application in one of the biggest hotel chain in the world. I applied on line last Sept and after the month ends, I’ve got my LMO and my Job Offer. Now am just waiting for my visa.

Some of my college friends in manila said that am lucky that am not in the Philippines, because if I was able to get the job offer in Canada and it happens that am in manila, for sure I will pay allot of money.

I said YES! That is totally TRUE!


I said this because I already experienced this kind of HORRIBLE SITUATION. I was in manila when I got a job offer here in Dubai (I applied on line). I was hired directly. (No agency, Am on my own to fix my papers). It was easy and fast for the process of my working visa in Dubai. But when it comes to the POEA and things that you need to do.... JUST MAKE SURE YOU WILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY AND YOU WARE WILLING TO WAIT FOR A LONG QUE. (COZ I didn’t ask for any help thru an agency. Coz i know they will ask me too much money).

It was really fascinating. Long queue for just giving all your documents (Job Offer, Visa, etc) and waiting for 6 hrs and that’s it you need to go back home and go back again next day for the next step. AGAIN... back to the queue...

BUT when am going to pay for the fee...

MAN! NO QUE at all!

That was so FAST!

I can’t believe the system in POEA.
(Come to think of it that they are getting allot of money for OFW, they can even fix the bldg, for sure some people will react on this. but COME ON, RED TAPE!)

And for my medical and dental...

God knows what happened...

They Rip me off... they knew that I really need to finish my documents and test for my medical and dental... They said that I need to pay this, that or express blah blah blah....

From POEA down to the dental and medical...

THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF!

I really pray that this will stop.

I felt so sorry for those Filipinos who want to have a better life.

BCguy i know that you are aware of this matter for sure.

For sure this is another chance for other people to rip off the pocket of all Filipinos who’s trying to get a job in Canada.

(From my experience... try to research and be knowledgeable in all the corners of the application and the famous system of POEA)

Yeah it’s really WOW POEA!!!
 

BCguy

Champion Member
Jul 26, 2008
2,041
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Thats why I push IMMIGRATION under PNP,That way they can say goodbye forever to the Philippines and Never have to go back except for Vacation.Forget becoming TFW s Immigrate to Canada,once you have experienced honest good goverment its hard to go back to the Philippines.Filipinos are valued by us here,Too bad a nice people like you guys got rotten goverment by our standards
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
21,950
1,321
Job Offer........
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Is it common for employers to do PNP for people right away? My employer will do it but not until the person has worked there for 6 months first so they come in on a TWP and get sponsored later. I can see why they would do that because the employer has a certain amount of control over a TW. Making them wait 6 months guarantees they will work there for at least a year.

The hardest part of coming in as a TW is knowing if the agency/employer is legit but apart from that, it's easy if you are on a skilled permit to get PR. If PNP doesn't work, then wait 2 years and do CEC.
 

c.serrano

Member
Nov 14, 2008
13
0
I just thought of an advertisement that the POLO and Vancouver can post on their website and doors:

"GOOD NEWS to ALL ILLEGAL RECRUITERS with fake employers. POLO and POEA is now giving you more opportunity to further exploit your applicants and foreign workers.

When your gullible applicants head to POEA, they won't get an OEC unless you and your fake employer submits a few documents to the POLO in Canada. Don't worry, what they're requiring are easy to forge too.

This gives you the chance to rob your applicants MORE MONEY. Tell them unless they pay you an ADDITIONAL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PESOS (plus their soul) that you won't help them get verified.

Fantastic. So what are you waiting for, pick up the phone and make that threat now."
 

migwelder

Star Member
Oct 22, 2008
139
0
Manila
Category........
Visa Office......
MANILA
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-09-2011
Doc's Request.
01-06-2012
Nomination.....
15-08-2012
AOR Received.
14-11-2012
Med's Request
14-11-2012
Med's Done....
19-11-2012
VISA ISSUED...
10-2-2013
LANDED..........
25-03-2013
Can the Canadian government pressure the Philippines to abolished or make some improvements in this POLO thing so employers in Canada can have a smooth processing of papers for their workers, if not tell them that you won't be recruiting more Pinoys in the future.
 

Budong

Member
Mar 12, 2008
13
0
Too bad,most of Filipinos are hardworking and smart, I bet they will still be willing to go all the fuss to get us,
that is the reason why it is easy to apply in Philippines because once they know you are applying, you are also aware of all
the money talking........

I had a colleague who went to Philippines just to apply, after 2 months , he got all his documents....the question is how much he paid for those????

We can't blame them because it is really hard to live in our country, that's the reason why most of us are outside..
Hope for a betterment in our Employment System so as the people could have better options.