Philipines embassy employment contract - need agency or not?

[rosborn]

Our helper must make an emergency trip home to see her I'll father. She is without an Employee Contract supplied by the Embassy. It ran out a few months ago.

I rang an agency to ask whether we really need it for her to travel out and not surprisingly they said yes. Apparently for $280 they will arrange the employment contract, the exit pass and OSA. Given we have the owa and exit pass is $6 I am questioning whether I cant front up at the embassy and arrange it myself and avoid some of the $280. Doe anyone know if I can arange the employer contract myself with the embassy and what the cost is?

[ex-pat]

Our helper must make an emergency trip home to see her I'll father. She is without an Employee Contract supplied by the Embassy. It ran out a few months ago.

I rang an agency to ask whether we really need it for her to travel out and not surprisingly they said yes. Apparently for $280 they will arrange the employment contract, the exit pass and OSA. Given we have the owa and exit pass is $6 I am questioning whether I cant front up at the embassy and arrange it myself and avoid some of the $280. Doe anyone know if I can arange the employer contract myself with the embassy and what the cost is?

Its best to call Phil Embassy direct than asking someone here. To process a document with the embassy it is normally takes 5 working days.

[ksl]

Our helper must make an emergency trip home to see her I'll father. She is without an Employee Contract supplied by the Embassy. It ran out a few months ago.

I rang an agency to ask whether we really need it for her to travel out and not surprisingly they said yes. Apparently for $280 they will arrange the employment contract, the exit pass and OSA. Given we have the owa and exit pass is $6 I am questioning whether I cant front up at the embassy and arrange it myself and avoid some of the $280. Doe anyone know if I can arrange the employer contract myself with the embassy and what the cost is?

Providing she still has the work permit card assigned to you and you are paying levy, then she should be okay to travel and return with the work permit, she has no need to carry a contract with her. It doesn't matter if there is no contract providing you have done everything legally through MOM, the insurance and fingerprinting new photo and a work permit with your household address, she's still under your household and you have to pay levy working or not you do not need a contract to let her go home, though you still have to pay the levy for as long as she is absent. Her work pass is sufficient proof of employment for her return trip, You do not need an agent or a contract as she is under your sponsorship once you are paying levy. If you cancel the work permit, while she is away she will not be allowed to return to Singapore.

[cbavasi]

Our helper must make an emergency trip home to see her I'll father. She is without an Employee Contract supplied by the Embassy. It ran out a few months ago.

I rang an agency to ask whether we really need it for her to travel out and not surprisingly they said yes. Apparently for $280 they will arrange the employment contract, the exit pass and OSA. Given we have the owa and exit pass is $6 I am questioning whether I cant front up at the embassy and arrange it myself and avoid some of the $280. Doe anyone know if I can arrange the employer contract myself with the embassy and what the cost is?

Providing she still has the work permit card assigned to you and you are paying levy, then she should be okay to travel and return with the work permit, she has no need to carry a contract with her. It doesn't matter if there is no contract providing you have done everything legally through MOM, the insurance and fingerprinting new photo and a work permit with your household address, she's still under your household and you have to pay levy working or not you do not need a contract to let her go home, though you still have to pay the levy for as long as she is absent. Her work pass is sufficient proof of employment for her return trip, You do not need an agent or a contract as she is under your sponsorship once you are paying levy. If you cancel the work permit, while she is away she will not be allowed to return to Singapore.

This is incorrect - it has nothing to do with her work permit/stay in Singapore - it's a requirement from the Phillipine Embassy to go home and visit - see this link: http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/labor/hsw/oec/
If they want to go on home leave they need to prove they are working. The validity of the home leave pass is 2 years.

[ksl]

Our helper must make an emergency trip home to see her I'll father. She is without an Employee Contract supplied by the Embassy. It ran out a few months ago.

I rang an agency to ask whether we really need it for her to travel out and not surprisingly they said yes. Apparently for $280 they will arrange the employment contract, the exit pass and OSA. Given we have the owa and exit pass is $6 I am questioning whether I cant front up at the embassy and arrange it myself and avoid some of the $280. Doe anyone know if I can arrange the employer contract myself with the embassy and what the cost is?

Providing she still has the work permit card assigned to you and you are paying levy, then she should be okay to travel and return with the work permit, she has no need to carry a contract with her. It doesn't matter if there is no contract providing you have done everything legally through MOM, the insurance and fingerprinting new photo and a work permit with your household address, she's still under your household and you have to pay levy working or not you do not need a contract to let her go home, though you still have to pay the levy for as long as she is absent. Her work pass is sufficient proof of employment for her return trip, You do not need an agent or a contract as she is under your sponsorship once you are paying levy. If you cancel the work permit, while she is away she will not be allowed to return to Singapore.

This is incorrect - it has nothing to do with her work permit/stay in Singapore - it's a requirement from the Phillipine Embassy to go home and visit - see this link: http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/labor/hsw/oec/
This link is refering to maids that are employed through registred embassy agencies and doesn't cover maids that are for example directly employed, by the employer...example when maids are transfered they are not under agents any longer. and the question from the OP is do the maids need an agent the answer is no, they do not need an agent. They need someone that knows the procedure to fullfil the requirements of home leave travel and return.
If they want to go on home leave they need to prove they are working. The validity of the home leave pass is 2 years.

The embassy have failed her and she is legally not under the embassies legal jurisdiction in Singapore...If she has a valid work permit the embassy is totally not involved in Singapore's laws. The contracts from the embassy are only made for the benefit of the maid receiving the minimum $400....any Philippine citizen cannot be legally stopped from leaving her own country if she has a valid work permit.

The embassy contract is only a guide and recommendation it has no legal bearing in Singapore whatsoever. What I mean is that she doesn't have to be recruited by an agency, the reason the embassy insist agencies are registered are to protect the maids for the maids interest. it is advisory for maids to be recruited through the overseas procedure but not compulsary, it is not legal in Singapore and she has no reason to follow it, if they haven't given her a contract.

She should still be allowed out of the country with her work permit from MOM and letters from the employer. So the OP is talking about an urgent matter, to go home, she has no legal obligation to wait for the embassy to get there act togther on a works contract in an emergancy situation. When she is already under sponsorship of the employer until the work permit is cancelled.

Doesn't make sense does it. She is working without contract, but has a work permit all she needs is her employer to make a standard employment contract not an agency contract!

Which means she hasn't been employed through the embassy procedure, like many more philopino maids, she is probably a transfer maid working for less than the $600 guidance recommendations by the embassy. This doesn't prohibit travel on a legal MOM working permit and a local employer contract nothing below states an agency contract, just a standard employment contract. If the work permit is still valid and the OP is still paying levy she is still employed, even though the contract has run out she is under the sponsorship of the employer until the levy is cancelled she doesn't have tp accept an agency contract. The employer should just write a standard contract for her to fulfill the requirement, as the work permit will still have the same address.

Homeleave / Balik Manggagawa

•Original copy of S$7,000.00 performance bond
•2 original duly signed Standard Employment Contract
•2 copies of worker’s passport
•2 copies of worker’s work permit
•1 copy of medical insurance
•1 copy of employer’s IC
•2 copies of Undertaking of an Employer

[sundaymorningstaple]

....any Philippine citizen cannot be legally stopped from leaving her own country if she has a valid work permit.

I am afraid that is not entirely true. The Philippines Bureau of Immigration can even pull a Filipino off of the plane if they want to. In fact, they supercede all over department of the government and as long as they are Filipinos and are in the Philippines, their is sfa that can be done about it. It doesn't matter if you have all the documentation in the world. They are a law unto themselves, like most immigration departments around the world.

http://cebuexperience.com/living-in-the ... -filipino/

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Philippines- ... ing-RP.htm

http://www.philembassy-bangkok.net/comp ... ilippines-

[nakatago]

First, pet peeve: I'd get how people from countries that don't normally deal with the Philippines or doesn't have a sizable Filipino community in there not get the correct spelling of Filipino right. But if it's someone from Southeast Asia or has lived here for a significant period of time, how can you NOT be able to spell 'Filipino' correctly? I know it's confusing to most people but c'mon, shouldn't exposure already give the correct spelling? It's just a three-hour flight away and there are legions of Filipinos in Singapore!

Second, our Bureau of Immigration--and along with other government agencies--can be total asshats and has indeed stopped Filipinos from leaving the Philippines. Now, there's this stupid requirement for young-ish Filipinos to have an invitation letter from the Philippine Embassy here in Singapore just to be able to visit Singapore as tourists. Sure, a lot go here to go search for a job, but somebody had the bright idea to require said letter which costs 50 SGD....

/rant over.

[ecureilx]

Second, our Bureau of Immigration--and along with other government agencies--can be total asshats and has indeed stopped Filipinos from leaving the Philippines. Now, there's this stupid requirement for young-ish Filipinos to have an invitation letter from the Philippine Embassy here in Singapore just to be able to visit Singapore as tourists. Sure, a lot go here to go search for a job, but somebody had the bright idea to require said letter which costs 50 SGD....

/rant over.

Chief, do you know anybody who needs visa in advance, getting Visa in Nassim Road ?? The Visa cost says X dollars, and then there is a charge for "notarization" and "administration" errrr .. I was thinking isn't that all called Visa Fee ?? So, visa is 40$, Notarization is 60$ and administration is 100$ .. but the reciprocal arrangement for the counterpart country charges filipinos visa fee of ONLY THE RECIPROCAL 40$ - no more ..

The letter of invite is not even worth 2 cents, if the Singapore immigration refuses entry, all endorsement flies out of the window .. and Singapore immigration has the final say for arrival passengers ..

And as from what I know now, airlines to Philippines have lost over 30,000 seats each year due to passengers offloaded at Immigration AFTER CHECK IN, seats that they could sell to others .. especially for LCCs ..

Seems some airlines are going to sue BI !!!!

[ecureilx]

The embassy contract is only a guide and recommendation it has no legal bearing in Singapore whatsoever. What I mean is that she doesn't have to be recruited by an agency, the reason the embassy insist agencies are registered are to protect the maids for the maids interest. it is advisory for maids to be recruited through the overseas procedure but not compulsary, it is not legal in Singapore and she has no reason to follow it, if they haven't given her a contract.

I am late to the party, and I am gonna dispute everything .. well almost ..

Since Philippines law says "YOU MUST HAVE AN AGENT" or something to that effect ...

I know of enough cases, where maids worked here, went home, and then the employer asked them to come as direct hire, to make sure the maid gets paid from day 1, instead of 6 months later (after deducting all the agency fees and all) and guess what happens ?? In Philippines / Manila Airport, the POEA people catch her and threaten to lock her up for leaving without an agent, and then appoint an 'agent' and then charge the six months salary that the employer was trying to avoid so the maid gets full pay - oh, the employer was paying for the air ticket and everything .. and the Phil agent has a counterpart, who talks to the employer and threatens to report the employer to the POEA or everybody .. and then employer surrenders ..

Said maid comes to Singapore, and then goes into major mood swing, as 6 months of hear blood and sweat has been stolen .. and said employer has no recourse, and the Phil Govt / Embassy stand by their requirements ..

Life ..

Nah- not about Philippines, but a few other countries who 'export' maids have the same modus operandi - using the ruse of 'taking care of the maids' I felt more than enough times, it is a scam to rip maids off ..

And I have heard the same stories for maids from Sri Lanka .. and also Indonesia .. and ..

[ksl]

There's a lot of smoke hiding the trees here and SMS is off track altogether in an emergency situation.

We have an emergancy situation! The maid has a valid work permit issued by the Minitry of Manpower. I would state the maids fathers life on the fact, that all your smoke screens are not relevant,as non of the links apply to someone with an authorised work permit from The Minitry of Manpower.

Hello she wants to go home now, not in one weeks time. What the B of I do when she is returning is just another issue that will have to be solved as it arises. If she can wait another week then its not an emergency is it?

The only requirements for home leave are what has been posted from the Embassy website, and nothing about having an agency agreement is mentioned for home leave for a person with an issued work permit.

Homeleave / Balik Manggagawa off the embassy website.

•Original copy of S$7,000.00 performance bond
•2 original duly signed Standard Employment Contract
•2 copies of worker’s passport
•2 copies of worker’s work permit
•1 copy of medical insurance
•1 copy of employer’s IC
•2 copies of Undertaking of an Employer

An emergency could well mean a matter of life and death, so I'm pretty sure the maid will not be too focussed on returning straight away anyway

[ecureilx]

We have an emergancy situation! The maid has a valid work permit issued by the Minitry of Manpower. I would state the maids fathers life on the fact, that all your smoke screens are not relevant,as non of the links apply to someone with an authorised work permit from The Minitry of Manpower.

Wrong

Hello she wants to go home now, not in one weeks time. What the B of I do when she is returning is just another issue that will have to be solved as it arises. If she can wait another week then its not an emergancy is it?

Too bad, she didn't follow the protocol .

The only requirements for home leave are what has been posted from the Embassy website, and nothing about having an agency agreement is mentioned for home leave for a person with an issued work permit.

Well, since you say so .. boss, having done counselling and having given up trying to find why some countries treat their maids like this (I mean the countries sending the maids here .. )

(now this is the part of me who sort of fights of the maid's rights .. unlike my other part which is amused by employers who want aircon for maid etc.. )

[ecureilx]

•Original copy of S$7,000.00 performance bond
•2 original duly signed Standard Employment Contract
•2 copies of worker’s passport
•2 copies of worker’s work permit
•1 copy of medical insurance
•1 copy of employer’s IC
•2 copies of Undertaking of an Employer

To push my luck, how will the maid get a WP, without the bond ?? And don't the WP mean there was a passport in the first place .. ???

And, all the other sundry matters like the undertaking etc etc ?? That's why the embassy insists you have an agent So there you go ..

Coat, Hat, Umbrella ..

PS: I went to another embassy to apply for visa for a colleague of mine: I was told I need to endorse the form, as the applicant was not there .. so I asked what I was supposed to do. The answer: counter sign it. and then the person said 'pay 10$ for verification'

And in front of me, she asked me to sign on another form, to compare the signature, and boy, she did compare the signatures (the first one I signed vs the next one - both done in front of her) and then she smiled and said "OK SIR, ACCEPTED" and she didn't even ask for any form of identification if I was the said person, as long as I signed and then signed the verification ..

Sort of like the times you forgot to sign on the back of your credit card, and the shop asks you to sign it then and there .. what gives if it was somebody else's card ??

[nakatago]

Second, our Bureau of Immigration--and along with other government agencies--can be total asshats and has indeed stopped Filipinos from leaving the Philippines. Now, there's this stupid requirement for young-ish Filipinos to have an invitation letter from the Philippine Embassy here in Singapore just to be able to visit Singapore as tourists. Sure, a lot go here to go search for a job, but somebody had the bright idea to require said letter which costs 50 SGD....

/rant over.

Chief, do you know anybody who needs visa in advance, getting Visa in Nassim Road ?? The Visa cost says X dollars, and then there is a charge for "notarization" and "administration" errrr .. I was thinking isn't that all called Visa Fee ?? So, visa is 40$, Notarization is 60$ and administration is 100$ .. but the reciprocal arrangement for the counterpart country charges filipinos visa fee of ONLY THE RECIPROCAL 40$ - no more ..

The letter of invite is not even worth 2 cents, if the Singapore immigration refuses entry, all endorsement flies out of the window .. and Singapore immigration has the final say for arrival passengers ..

And as from what I know now, airlines to Philippines have lost over 30,000 seats each year due to passengers offloaded at Immigration AFTER CHECK IN, seats that they could sell to others .. especially for LCCs ..

Seems some airlines are going to sue BI !!!!

I really don't know...these agencies charge for stuff that don't make sense. Our bureaucracy is the Twilight Zone and they'll nickel-and-dime anyone every chance they get. I just give up and follow the listed procedures. No point arguing with anyone who doesn't even use logic.

[ecureilx]

I really don't know...these agencies charge for stuff that don't make sense. Our bureaucracy is the Twilight Zone and they'll nickel-and-dime anyone every chance they get. I just give up and follow the listed procedures. No point arguing with anyone who doesn't even use logic.

Yes, just go with the flow

[ksl]

You are assuming she is working direct, when in fact she probably has been under agency contract and is stuck in between contracts and not even had her holidays yet if she has been her 2 years!

So like the OP says, the agency could take a week to draw up the contract. there is no issue if she is working for the same embassy agency is there? So what does emergency mean to you? Come back next week Oh yes I forgot it's Singapore so it's lacking that an embassy cannot accomadate a person in an emergency?

If commonsense prevails the embassy agency would just send her the new contract if she is working for the original employer. Though don't forget emergency means immediate. Eitherway the OP hasn't been back so they must have solved the problem