How to get Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from POEA for Direct Hire workers

“It is a bird’s imagination, not its wings, that determines how high it can fly.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

You have submitted online job applications to your dream company abroad. You received interview invitations and you finally got the job. You’re so stoked about moving to a new country and looking forward about the things that you will do once you get there. But hey, the processing of papers to get there is not as easy as 1-2-3. You have to exert time and effort to accomplish them. And money too.

You consider yourself as a direct hire or name hire if you got a job abroad directly from a company, and not through agencies in the Philippines. However, the government has banned direct hiring by a foreign employer. (You can read this article about direct hire ban.)

Before you will be able to travel abroad and start working in a foreign company, you have to get an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Pre-Employment Service Office – Landbased Center.

I have listed the Checklist of Requirements for Evaluation of Direct Hire Application for Professional and Skilled Workers below. Please take note that all documents to be submitted must be in duplicates.

This comes in Phase 1 and Phase 2. You have to make sure that you have all the necessary documents before going to POEA to save time and resources.

PHASE 1

1. Passport with validity period of not less than six (6) months

2. Valid Work Visa, Entry/Work Permit (whichever is applicable per country). If visa assurance or guarantee is issued by employer, the same should be noted/acknowledged by the Government or Immigration Office in the jobsite

3. Employment Contract:

4. Original copy of Employment Contract or Offer of Employment

5. Verified by the Philippines Overseas Labor Office (POLO) OR

6. Authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate for countries with no POLO

7. Company Profile, Business license / commercial registration of the employer

8. POLO Endorsement Letter addressed to the Administrator seeking exemption from the ban on direct-hiring

9. Additional country-specific requirements:

10. Canada – Labor Market Opinion (LMO), Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and Canadian Letter and Employer’s Certificate of Registration from ECON (Province of Saskatchewan Executive Council or Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program (SINP) approval are required from workers to Saskatchewan in lieu of LMO

11. USA – Labor Condition Application and Notice of Action

12. Middle East and African countries – Contingency plan issues by the employer

13. Additional documents to support job application:

14. Certificate of employment or Business Permit: if self-employed

15. Diploma and Transcript of Records (TOR)

16. NC II / PRC License

17. Curriculum Vitae / Resume

18. Notarized Statement:

19. How the workers secured his/her employment with attached photocopy of employer’s passport/ID and contact details;

20. Authenticity of diploma, TOR, COE and other certificates submitted

PHASE 2

1. E-Registration Account

2. Compliance Form (if necessary)

3. Valid Medical Certificate from DOH-accredited medical clinic authorized to conduct medical exam for OFWs

4. Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS) Certificate

5. Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) Certificate issued by OWWA

6. POEA Clearance (for employers under Section 124d of the POEA Revised Rules & Regulations)

7. Proof of certificate of insurance coverage covering at least the benefits provided under Section 37-A of RA 8042 as amended;

8. Repatriation of Remains/Mortal Remains/in case of death

Important Reminders:

For the authenticated employment contract, you have to inform your employer about it especially if you’re not in the destination country yet.

You can take the PEOS whenever you want. You can access it for free online which requires a registration. You have to take the modules and answer a short quiz composed of five questions at the end of each module to be able to move to the next one. After completing the modules, you will finally be given the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS) Certificate that you have to print out.

You also need a notarised statement on how you get the job. You just have to describe how and where you submitted your application, what’s the interview or hiring process, and how you got the job offer. You can have it notarised at any Notary Public.

You have to submit the Affidavit of Authenticity of documents like COE, diploma and TOR. Just write an affidavit that the documents you presented are authentic. You can check this link for a sample notarised statement format.

In addition, POEA also requires to submit a certificate of insurance coverage for OFWs. The Paramount Life & General Insurance Corporation have an insurance type for direct hire workers. If you have questions, you can contact them through email at ofwmandatoryinsurance@paramount.com.ph and they usually reply immediately during weekdays. You can also call them at +(02) 8 523 7779 / 8 523 7980 (Manila office) or +(02) 8 723 2156 / 8 705 1925 (Ortigas office). You can also check their website for more details.

While waiting for your authenticated employment contract and visa / work permit, you can start compiling the other requirements so that you will be prepared once you go to POEA.

Once you’re ready and have compiled all the necessary documents, you go to POEA’s main office at Blas F. Ople Building, Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila. The office opens at 9:00 AM but make sure that you’re an early bird. The process will take several hours so be patient. If you’re a Direct Hire / Name Hire worker, you can go there as walk-in applicant. You don’t have to make an online appointment. Inform the guard on duty so you can go to the right place – Direct Hire department.

If you completed all the requirements for Phase 1, just wait for your name to be listed on the POEA webpage for Direct Hire OFWs with Approved OFW Clearance. You can then go back to POEA for Phase 2 and submit the remaining requirements.

You can only attend the PDOS if you have finished Phase 1. Please check this link for the requirements and schedule of the seminar. Please be reminded hat it has a registration fee of PHP 400.

For the medical exam, make sure that you checked the DOH-accredited clinics or hospitals on the POEA webpage. They will not accept the medical certificate from other clinics/hospitals so it’s better to be sure.

I have added some important references/links for you to visit in order to accomplish the requirements above.

1. DFA Authentication

2. E-registration account

3. Memorandum: Implementing Guidelines on the Registration of Direct Hire OFWs

The corresponding fees to get the OEC are shown below. You can also verify the updated prices from POEA. You would need to pay around Php6000-Php7000 in total.

1. POEA Processing Fee = USD 100 or its PHP equivalent

2. OWWA Membership Fee = USD 25 or its PHP equivalent

3. PAGIBIG Contribution Fee = PHP 100 per month

4. Philhealth Contribution Fee = PHP 2,400 for one year coverage

Just a reminder, only authenticate the documents at DFA if the country where you’re going to require it. All the documents that will be submitted to POEA don’t need to have Apostille (formerly red ribbon) as proof of authentication.

Be mindful not to give your documents to anyone claiming that they are from an agency who will help you process your papers.

#filipinos #workingabroad #oec #poea #directhire

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