We would like to share a webpage from the POEA website containing a list of tips of how to avoid illegal recruiters. Below is the link and the article.
http://www.poea.gov.ph/html/how%20to_ir.html
How to Avoid Illegal Recruitment
1. Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.
2. Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.
3. Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.
4. Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority
5. Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.
6. Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.
7. Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.
8. Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.
9. Do not accept a tourist visa.
10. Do not deal with fixers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Clearly the PARS-Universal tandem violated numbers 5 and 6 above. So to all defenders of Lourders Navarro, how in heaven's name, can you defend an illegal recruiter?
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I can not also fathom the logic. However, it is safe to say, "follow the money" and you will uncover many things. In my opinion,it is greed and self-aggrandizement regardless of what happens to others.
ReplyDeleteHowever, having been identified what is unlawful,
nothing will happen. The next thing is up to you ladies and gentlemen- fight and file your complaints. In the eyes of the POEA, nothing has happened unless there is a formal complaint against this agency. According to one POEA official, "these are only rumors and nothing else. We can not act on nothing".
I assure you sb, something is going to get done... Thanks so much for your moral support. We certainly need it.
ReplyDeletewe do not know yet whether the company is licensed and bonded in CA. But here is the
ReplyDeletelisting of CA codes for employment agencies.
The Secretay of State-CA maintains the licensing of this type of business. The Attorney General-CA responsible for raiding unlicensed businesses.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
check 'Civil Code' and search the codes
using the string 'employment agencies'
These are the CA civil codes for the employment agencies: SECTION 1812.503-1812.5095;SECTION 1812.500-1812.502;SECTION 1812.522
Clarification regarding H1b.
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as H1-B renewal. It issued once in your stay here. However, it can be extended up to 6 years, no more. At the end of the H1b, the petitioner should be an immigrant already.
It can be done. I did it myself. The extension can be done by the petitioner(YOU) provided instructions are followed very well.
Use the main form I-539 and I-539 instructions.
from www.uscis.gov. It is a matter of filling the information about yourself which you already know.
do-it-yourself H1b application for extension.
ReplyDeleteThe fee to apply for extension of H1b is $300.
If you want to go through the agent then it is $1000. I do not know the cost if you hire an immigration lawyer just to file your extension
but it will not cost you $700.
If you want to hire immigration lawyer for your H1b extension.
ReplyDeleteThese are the immigration lawyers that were consulted by many Filipinos here at Baton Rouge for immigration purposes.
It does not hurt to ask them for the cost of this application. It could be reasonable.
Or,it could be even cheaper to fill the form yourself together with the documents, and them ask for consultation. This is another option.
David Ware
http://www.david-ware.com/
Jeri Flynn
http://www.jeriflynn.com/
I have been reading this blog for the past days. I am one of the teachers being deployed to the US by the Universal Placement and the Pars Placement. Yes, it is true that the first few years are extremely challenging but I will become smooth in years to come.
ReplyDeleteWe, teachers have arrived in the US with H1-B visa, meaning our stay is only temporary unless we will be petitioned by our employer to live and work permanently. We might lose our job any moment (I hope not). No one is ever sure who will have his job tomorrow. Some brag that we are competent teachers that the school districts will not give us up. Very funny and assuming!!! I thought it was rather a boast in its greatest sense. We are not citizens of the United States. We are petitioned only to fill in the gap on teacher shortage. Now that recession has been gobbling the country, many citizens have been interested in the job. I have a lot of friends employed in teaching and non-teaching jobs who are also in the brink of losing their jobs. Remember guys, that frugality is the name of the game in the US nowadays. Also remember, the doctrine FIRST-IN -FIRST OUT. It is already happening in California.
Guys, it is good to have Filipino values and maintain them. However, such values might not work here in the US. We are here to solve employers’ problems and not the other way around. I thought it would be good to view the situations with a positive and hopeful perspective. Let us face our situation with grace and with a marked degree of professionalism. People who live in gossip, complaints and animosity will not see the beauty of life being intertwined with challenges. People want instant comfort. That might not happen here in an instant. It takes a great deal of perseverance and positive outlook in life. Many Filipino in the US started with a lot worse situation than we have now. Years of perseverance and patience, they reaped their success in the end.
I remember the times when we lined up in the Philippines for interview for US teaching jobs. We were extremely nice. We signed the contract calmly. We knew it would cost us something. We knew what we would have to do the following year. Now, that the contract is in its execution, many of us are revolting. Why did we sign the contract in the first place? I assume that the contract is not the reason for your revolt; it is rather your loan in the Philippines and your personal obligation to your family. Do not attribute your financial difficulty to Universal Placement. Your financial difficulty is a product of your own decision. You did whatever had to be done. There are consequences in your own action.
I am sure if it the agency were owned by Americans, we will not react the same way we react now. Because the agency is owned by a former Filipino citizen, you thought that Filipino values including an act of charity and benevolence should be in the picture. Business is business. I hope we know that. Contract is contract. It is a mutual agreement.
I am very thankful to Lulu Navarro. I arrived in the US without a family and friends to start with. She found me a place to stay. It is not her job to look for housing but she did it because she knows that it is hard for us to find a place and have access to transportation initially. She is not a housing agency but she is going out of her way for us to continue with our life. It is challenging yes. Please forget about instant comfort as we are in an entirely new environment.
Whether or not housing is good, what matters is we are housed. It is a lot better than looking for apartments or houses ourselves. I am sure we cannot find one as we did not have our SS number and credit history to start with. Did we have money to pay upfront for deposits and similar charges? Lulu did this for all of us. Some people are just inherently negative. All they want is to take and take and not give or share. Let us learn to be appreciative too.
On the other hand, it is a fact that a number of us borrowed money from the financing agency in order to fly here. However, it is our choice to borrow. Never were we forced to borrow money from these financial institutions. It might have been suggested or recommended but it was never ever forced. I am in the same situation so I also experienced the same. All agencies in the Philippines have partnership with these financing institutions. I assume that the interests are big as they are loans without collateral.
I just hope that our employers will not get tired of our drama. It is our personal drama and I do not see any reason why employers have to be included in the casting of our own drama. Employers do not want dramas. We solve their dramas. I am not surprised when our employer will get rid of us because of dramas. Now, will you still boast that you are competent teachers and that you are teachers to die for? I doubt it. I hope that we will not be labeled as drama queens and drama king because of our own action. I hope not. The worst scenario to happen is losing our job, the domino effect is more terrible than you imagine. Think about your own actions guys. I suggest that you just work and impress your employer within your job description. Do not include them in your drama. We are Filipinos and our employers are not. Chances of cultural differences and misunderstanding are at a certain degree. Filipinos have their own thinking so do foreigners. I hope you will not lose your job and your family will suffer very badly as a result. This is my opinion. Thank you very much.
I have been reading this blog for the past days. I am one of the teachers being deployed to the US by the Universal Placement and the Pars Placement.
ReplyDelete>> Being deployed? Is it still occurring? <<
Yes, it is true that the first few years are extremely challenging but I will become smooth in years to come.
We, teachers have arrived in the US with H1-B visa, meaning our stay is only temporary unless we will be petitioned by our employer to live and work permanently. We might lose our job any moment (I hope not). No one is ever sure who will have his job tomorrow.
>> True. Even citizens are also affected by this crisis.>>
Some brag that we are competent teachers that the school districts will not give us up. Very funny and assuming!!! I thought it was rather a boast in its greatest sense. We are not citizens of the United States. We are petitioned only to fill in the gap on teacher shortage. Now that recession has been gobbling the country, many citizens have been interested in the job.
>>It is your opinion.>>
I have a lot of friends employed in teaching and non-teaching jobs who are also in the brink of losing their jobs. Remember guys, that frugality is the name of the game in the US nowadays. Also remember, the doctrine FIRST-IN -FIRST OUT. It is already happening in California.
>> I do not know what you mean by this, FIFO. There is also LIFO (last in first out). These concepts are used in merchandise.>>
Guys, it is good to have Filipino values and maintain them. However, such values might not work here in the US. We are here to solve employers’ problems and not the other way around. I thought it would be good to view the situations with a positive and hopeful perspective. Let us face our situation with grace and with a marked degree of professionalism.
>> You are hired to teach and not to solve employer’s problems. Those are not your concerns and are done on a different level.>>
People who live in gossip, complaints and animosity will not see the beauty of life being intertwined with challenges. People want instant comfort. That might not happen here in an instant.
>> I think you are wrong here. You deal with generalities without supporting these with facts. The people I met can not move about their
personal business without the ‘prying’ eyes of the ‘tsutsu’. They just want their freedom to associate, meet or do anything. I have first hand information how the recruiter treated some teachers. For example, remember the incident that occurred in the orientation of the new teachers few months ago. They were witnesses.>>
It takes a great deal of perseverance and positive outlook in life. Many Filipino in the US started with a lot worse situation than we have now. Years of perseverance and patience, they reaped their success in the end.
>> I have sisters who dealt with employment agencies before. They did not pay a single dime. Sorry, I did not experience this and did not go through an agency.>>
I remember the times when we lined up in the Philippines for interview for US teaching jobs. We were extremely nice. We signed the contract calmly. We knew it would cost us something.
>> Was this the first time you signed a contract? Where did you sign the contract? Was there a third-party witness present when you signed this contract?
Did you initialed each page? Was the contract notarized after you signed it?
Did you ask if this was an “approved” contract? There are so many questions to be asked.>>
We knew what we would have to do the following year. Now, that the contract is in its execution, many of us are revolting.
>> If you have read my blog regarding the legalities involved in contracts then you would have an understanding why others are revolting. There is no need to elaborate here the concept since you only want to read what you want to read. Employment agencies under the law can only charge a fee of up to month’s salary- whether upfront payment or by installment. What language can’t you understand here?>>
Why did we sign the contract in the first place? I assume that the contract is not the reason for your revolt; it is rather your loan in the Philippines and your personal obligation to your family.
>>Your assumption is wrong. The reason is to recoup what is not supposed to be paid and to pay partially for the loan in the Philippines. Another reason is to stop this agency from doing business in the Philippines and the U.S.>>
Do not attribute your financial difficulty to Universal Placement. Your financial difficulty is a product of your own decision. You did whatever had to be done. There are consequences in your own action.
>> Of course, this is of personal responsibility. And now, it is being corrected
by questioning the practices of the employment agency.>>
I am sure if it the agency were owned by Americans, we will not react the same way we react now. Because the agency is owned by a former Filipino citizen, you thought that Filipino values including an act of charity and benevolence should be in the picture.
>> Sorry. Your assumption is wrong again. Americans or not, the employment agencies are subject to US laws. Please go back what this person had done in the past. She was involved in Medi-Cal scam in the state of California. There is no need to elaborate here. Please read the other blogs not the ones you only want to read.>>
Business is business. I hope we know that. Contract is contract. It is a mutual agreement.
>>I agree totally. The business is also under the laws of the U.S. and laws have to be followed. No business is above the law. Once again, you failed to include this very important concept in your argument. Please read the blog about contracts so will know certain aspects about contracts. Contracts are also governed by Civil codes under the state of California laws.>>
I am very thankful to Lulu Navarro. I arrived in the US without a family and friends to start with. She found me a place to stay. It is not her job to look for housing but she did it because she knows that it is hard for us to find a place and have access to transportation initially. She is not a housing agency but she is going out of her way for us to continue with our life.
>> There is no such thing as free lunch. Your response is elementary as if you are very innocent of what happened regarding the rentals snafu. Some teachers did not have a choice but to accept and live in the apartment complex. You paid rent which is above the published rate and your beloved Lulu got a total of $12,000 a month just to refer you and others to that apartment compound.
And you are thankful.>>
It is challenging yes. Please forget about instant comfort as we are in an entirely new environment.
Whether or not housing is good, what matters is we are housed. It is a lot better than looking for apartments or houses ourselves. I am sure we cannot find one as we did not have our SS number and credit history to start with. Did we have money to pay upfront for deposits and similar charges? Lulu did this for all of us.
>>I got an apartment when I got here and did not have a SS. I did this all by myself. Do you think Lulu will do this for free?
i hope the ss office will cancel them and give them new cards ..... as for usa teacher get their jobs back and be better teacher and parents help your kids with their homework even if u are not smart enough to do their homework you can still look it over and u can turn off the tv and radio..look at Ben Carson his mother only went to third grade and he heart surgern and move out about him Gifthands ..that was in 1950 when he went to school and he was black and u know what it was like going to school in 150 if you are black .... so everyone do your part for the kids ..
ReplyDelete