Employment Agencies And Witholding Passports As Ransom

[thailen19]

I met a lovely filipina who is working(as a cashier( for Watson's Drugs in Makati) and has no children and has not asked me for any money for anything. So far, so good.

We agreed on her coming to Thailand to live with me. I told her I'd pay for her passport. She said she already had one. But there's a problem. She gave her passport to an employment agency which refuses to return it, until and unless she pays them 5,000 pesos for their paperwork, etc.

I have already heard about these agencies promising work in various countries who took filipinas' money and never delivered visas, etc.

My question is simple: Is it worth investigating whether the amount she needs(twice as much as the passport itself!) and checking this agency out(she'll give me their name; I wouldn't call them to identify her)? Is what you hear typical of this experience? It would help me to see if, despite what I want to believe, this is a scam. I need some outside advice.

[brock]

I cant understand why they would keep her passport as she is working in the Philippines,Also it would be cheaper for her to get a new one.

[Mike S]

They usually keep the passport as a means of collateral to ensure they will get paid for all the paperwork they have to do to get Filipinos ready to go overseas ...... if they didn't a lot of people would just skip out with out paying ..... some even ask for a substantial down payment so the don't skip out on their debt ..... and yes we have all heard stories about how bad and unscrupulousness these agencies are but I have 4 in-laws working overseas right now and never had any problem ...... you just have to choose a reliable agency .... you may have to pay more but it is better than being taken for a ride .... we personally know of 2 people that lost money threw bad dealings with fly by nighters ..... again if the pay and job seem to good to be true it probably is .... one was quoited $20 per hour to work on a worm farm in Canada ...... hell .... I might migrate there for that ..... :hystery: :hystery:

Agencies also have to be careful of Pinoys that get home sick or don't like the job or just plain .... like one family member we know .... to lazy to work and come back before their contract is up ..... the agency must pay a fee or replace the person immediately .....

So there are good and bad sides to being both an agency and a Filipino seeking work over seas ..... :thumbsup: ..... :cheersty:

[Curley]

She can get a new one express for around 2,000 so why pay 5,000? Why not hop over there and sort it out and bring her back with you?

[Thomas]

They usually keep the passport as a means of collateral to ensure they will get paid for all the paperwork they have to do to get Filipinos ready to go overseas ...... if they didn't a lot of people would just skip out with out paying ..... some even ask for a substantial down payment so the don't skip out on their debt ..... and yes we have all heard stories about how bad and unscrupulousness these agencies are but I have 4 in-laws working overseas right now and never had any problem ...... you just have to choose a reliable agency .... you may have to pay more but it is better than being taken for a ride .... we personally know of 2 people that lost money threw bad dealings with fly by nighters ..... again if the pay and job seem to good to be true it probably is .... one was quoited $20 per hour to work on a worm farm in Canada ...... hell .... I might migrate there for that ..... :hystery: :hystery:

Agencies also have to be careful of Pinoys that get home sick or don't like the job or just plain .... like one family member we know .... to lazy to work and come back before their contract is up ..... the agency must pay a fee or replace the person immediately .....

So there are good and bad sides to being both an agency and a Filipino seeking work over seas ..... :thumbsup: ..... :cheersty:

Some agencies are very bad,

but some work hard to try to make ofw working OK. Not odd they want to get pay when they are asked to do a work. (=Find suiting job, handle papers as VISA/work permit/demanded health tests...) I know one, which ask 20 000 pesos IN ADVANCE before they start doing anything. Total fee around 100 000p* for a 2 years contract for a nanny/maid geting pay as a DOCTOR in the Philippines.

I don't know, but they seem average good and are rather flexible concerning waiting with some of their part of later pay, and they try to solve when ofw and employer don't function good together e g by make switches. They have offices in several countries so ofw workers can reach them close to where they are. A high cost, but when knowing how very bad many ofw workers have been treated, it can perhaps be worth it.

*Then that agency pay costs as flight tickets to the work place and home after the contract ends too.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Why not hop over there and sort it out and bring her back with you?

Thats good advice because the next hurdle will be at the airport. Many filipinas are denied exit from the country when the the BI official suspects she may be going to work in another country without a permit or perhaps is a victim of human trafficking (a very vague term which gives them permission to deny exit to any filipina they want). If you are accompanying her there is a much higher chance of success but they will still ask her a bunch of questions and it is still possible she would get denied exit.

[i am bob]

I could have sworn that, even though it is common practise for these employment agencies to hold a passport, the government has decreed that this is illegal and that it carried a good size fine to do so. I will have to see if I can find that again to double check.

[MikeB]

My question is simple: Is it worth investigating whether the amount she needs(twice as much as the passport itself!) and checking this agency out(she'll give me their name; I wouldn't call them to identify her)? Is what you hear typical of this experience? It would help me to see if, despite what I want to believe, this is a scam. I need some outside advice.

The passport itself is the property of the government. I found some articles that said the agency is within their rights to require a "withdrawal fee" before returning any documents if the request is made after processing has been started. The agency should be able to give her a bill (with their letterhead) that has the fee and her name that she can scan and email to you. If it looks legit it probably is.

[brock]

The lady we are talking about is working in the Philippines, So why should their be a need to hand over her passport.

Sorry but it sounds a bit fishy to me.

Also Bob is right, it is ilegal for any agency to take the passport,

Their is an English guy and his wife that has been in prison for about 3 years now awaiting trial that run such an agency, They are accused of human trafficking

[thailen19]

I had a filipina girlfriend and I did fly o;vr to Clark to get her. It worked. Just knowing some agencies are eripping off filipinas leaves me with more confidence she's not scamming me. At least time will tel...

Thanks for your advice...