POEA Warns OFWs Over Offers for Certain Jobs in Canada

Overseas Filipino workers were warned Wednesday against offers for certain jobs in Canada, particularly in the food services sector.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration head Hans J. Cacdac said a moratorium is in effect on the food services sector's access to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

“To avoid illegal recruitment, job applicants should reject offers of employment in pizza, hotdog, or other fast food franchise counters in Canada,” Cacdac said on the POEA's Facebook page.

He added the moratorium covers occupations in establishments engaged in preparing meals, snacks and beverages for immediate consumption. These include:

• food counter attendants
• kitchen helpers
• restaurant and food service managers
• food service supervisors
• food and beverage servers
• cashiers
• chefs
• cooks
• bakers
• sales
• marketing and advertising managers
• executive housekeepers
• cleaning supervisors
• butchers
• meat cutters and fishmongers
• sales representatives
• retail salespersons and sales clerks
• hosts/hostesses
• bartenders
• janitors
• caretakers

Cacdac said the moratorium will stay until the completion of the ongoing Canadian government review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

He added the moratorium stemmed from allegations that the program was being abused to displace Canadian workers.

With the moratorium, the government will not process any new or pending application for Labor Market Opinion (LMO) and no work permit for temporary foreign workers will be approved.

However, the POEA said the suspension does not include food service activities that occur within establishments such as hotels, civic and social associations, amusement and recreation parks, and theaters.

On the other hand, leased food-service locations in facilities such as hotels, shopping malls, airports and department stores are included

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Posted in: Jobs in Canada , POEA

Thailand Tightens their Travel Rules

Foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to exit and then re-enter the kingdom via a land border crossing in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay in Thailand.

It is part of a wider crackdown on foreigners who either work or stay in the country for extended periods without obtaining a non-immigrant visa.

Officials says they are only applying existing laws to cut down on foreigners who illegally start a business, while holding a tourist visa or are linked to international crime.

Thaivisa.Com broke the news on Saturday after contacting the Immigration Bureau, which confirmed the new regulation started Saturday 10 May.

This latest development follows reports, last week, of an Immigration crackdown at the border checkpoint in Ranong, a popular coastal town for Phuket expatriates seeking to renew their visas. Foreigners working in Phuket did visa-runs to Myanmar from the border town of Ranong. They were told that after three consecutive visa-runs to Myanmar they would be refused re-entry when they returned to Thailand.

They are being advised to travel to a country that has Thai embassy or consulate to obtain a new visa.

However, non-immigrant visa, or tourist visa holders, with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before. Retirees with annually renewed visas report to Immigration bureaus, every 90s days but they do not need to exit the country for the duration of their visa.

Thaivisa.Com reported that the new measures target foreign visitors, without a visa, who are regularly entering and exiting the kingdom every 15 or 30 days as a way of extending their stay in Thailand.

From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighboring country or overseas.

The regulation gives a boost to neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, popular destinations to renew visas and enjoy a holiday at the same time.

Immigration officials also confirmed to Thaivisa.Com that further restrictions are due, 12 August, to remove loopholes and tighten visa procedures.

It is understood that the new regulation will prohibit back-to-back border runners who stay for an extended time in the country without a proper visa from a consulate or embassy overseas, or an extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand.

Thaivisa members contacted the website and confirmed restrictions are being enforced at the Mae Sai border crossing in Chiang Rai province that resulted in some travelers being stranded in Tachilek, Myanmar.

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Posted in: Immigration News , Thailand Immigration , thailand visa , travel news

DFA Offers Free Replacement of Substandard E-passport Covers

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is offering free replacement of e-Passports whose covers have peeled off because they are substandard.

“The DFA urges holders of e-Passports with serial numbers EB0000001 to EB1267350 with detached covers to come to the Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-Aseana), the nearest Satellite Office (if residing in Metro Manila), or the nearest Regional Consular Office (if residing outside of Metro Manila),” it said in an advisory Tuesday.

“Passport holders will present their passports for inspection and examination in order to obtain the appropriate assistance,” DFA said.

Free replacement will be granted if the following conditions are met:

1. If the applicant fills up the required replacement forms;
2. If upon investigation and examination the e-Passport is deemed substandard; and
3. If the holder surrenders the detached e-Passport to the Department.

Replacement with corresponding pay will be followed if:

1. Majority of the pages have been used and the e-Passport’s condition is the result of wear and tear; and
2. The holder of the detached e-Passport refuses to surrender said passport to the Department.

In a letter to the editor published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 1, 2014, Quentin San Diego shared his experience during a trip to Russia where authorities had closely examined his passport which was falling apart for three hours.

“Back in Manila, I saw that my passport was falling apart. The leaves of my passport were disengaging from the glue,” he wrote.

“On April 4, 2012, I wrote a letter of complaint to the DFA. To make a long story short, the DFA changed my passport, but they wanted to charge me for the replacement. I refused to pay, saying that the defect in my passport was their fault, not mine,” San Diego wrote.

There were three others also who had their passports changed because of the “inferior, defective and self-destructing passport,” one complainant, who was bumped off a flight, had told San Diego.
“I suggest that the DFA should be investigated for providing inferior, substandard and imperfect passports,” he wrote.

The DFA has yet to issue an explanation regarding the alleged substandard passports.

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Posted in: philippine immigration , philippine travel news , travel news

Visa-free Japan Travel for Filipinos Soon?

Filipinos who wish to travel to Japan might no longer have to apply for tourist visas under the country’s new tourism plan, a leading Japanese news agency reported.

Quoting government sources, Kyodo on Monday said arrangements are being made “to waive visas for tourists from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.”

The move is one of the initiatives to boost tourist arrivals, and will likely be part of a revised action plan the Japanese government will release in June.

“The initiative…  is envisioned as Japan seeks to achieve its goal of increasing the annual number of foreign visitors to 20 million in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Kyodo said.

Japan is known for being strict in terms of requirements for visas and in screening tourists. Applicants have to submit documents to prove their eligibility.

Under the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, however, Japan has began easing visa policies to encourage visitors from neighboring countries.

In June last year, Japan sent social media abuzz when it allowed multiple-entry visas for citizens from Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines.

Multiple-entry Japanese visas have previously been issued only to those traveling for commercial purposes; specialists and government officials; and immediate family members of Japan residents.

Holders of multiple-entry visas may stay in Japan for 15 days. Their visas will meanwhile expire after three years. A similar easing of visa policies applied to citizens of Vietnam.

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Posted in: Japan Immigration , travel news

New Entrepreneur Work Visa to Attract High Quality Business in New Zeland

The Government hopes a new business visa will encourage migrants to set up high-quality businesses and create more jobs.

The new entrepreneur work visa, launched today, replaces the long-term business visa, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse says.

The visa operates under a points-based system that will result in higher quality, more productive businesses.

Mr Woodhouse hopes it will help New Zealand attract talented, well-connected people to invest in and grow businesses.

The new visa offers extra points for expanding businesses outside the Auckland region, which remains the primary destination for new migrants.

"The inclusion of regional points is designed to encourage new potential investors to settle and grow new businesses across the country, and to share the benefit of the extra jobs these businesses create," Mr Woodhouse said.

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Posted in: entrepreneur work visa , Immigration News , long-term business visa , new zealand visa , travel news