Embassy warns vs ‘UK job’ scams on Internet

Feb 08, 2010 at 04:58 AM

The Philippine Embassy in London has warned Filipino online jobseekers of a scam involving non-existent jobs in the United Kingdom that are being posted on the Internet .

“They should be wary of attractive jobs offered by the employers or their agents who would ask applicants to remit a certain amount of money purportedly to pay for the processing of their visas or work permits and other travel-related expenses,” the embassy said in an advisory.

Among the UK jobs that are being reportedly offered on the Internet are those for nannies, au pair, hotel staff, store managers, salespersons and engineers.

“Filipino jobseekers should be more discerning as these Internet job offers come in various schemes to defraud them of their hard-earned money,” the embassy said.

The embassy advised Filipinos to ascertain the authenticity of job orders, employment contracts as well as the legitimacy of a purported UK employer.

Filipino jobseekers are also being urged to check with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency for job orders in the UK.

“It is not enough to know if the employer really exists or that the jobs are available. Filipino jobseekers should also verify for themselves by using Internet search engines like Google or contacting the UK employers directly through their official Web sites,” the embassy said.

It further said Filipino jobseekers who have been “offered” positions through the Internet should advise their prospective UK employers to submit the original copies of their employment documents to the Philippine Labor Office at the Philippine Embassy in London for verification and authentication.

Moreover, the embassy said applicants should not only rely on scanned documents sent them through e-mail, such as employment contract, appointment letters and the like, as most of these are found to be forged or fabricated.

Job offers requiring applicants to pay or remit money are highly suspicious, the embassy stressed.

Charging of fees, including payment for visa and “work permit” expenses are generally prohibited under the UK employment regulations, it noted.

The embassy said the new UK Points-Based Immigration System has done away with the work permit requirement which has been replaced by the “certificate of sponsorship.”

“To be able to issue a certificate of sponsorship in favor of a candidate or applicant, the prospective UK employer should be duly licensed as a sponsor by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Filipino jobseekers should verify the status of their prospective employers on the list of sponsors which can be found at the UKBA Web site: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk. Payment for the certificate of sponsorship is also shouldered by the UK employer,” it said.

The embassy explained that the application for UK visa is done in the country of origin and not in the UK.

“Visas are issued based on the points criteria for qualifications, prospective earnings, maintenance funds and English language proficiency. Since the visas are applied at and issued by the British Embassy in Manila, applicants should not give credence to the scanned copies of visas purportedly applied in their behalf by their employer’s agents, including immigration consultants, solicitors or travel agents,” it said.

As to the hiring of nannies or domestic workers, it is an important requirement for purposes of domestic worker visa application that the candidate must have worked with the sponsoring employer for at least one year prior to the date of application, the embassy said.

To qualify to come to the UK to work as a nanny or domestic worker, the Filipino applicant must be an established member of the employer’s household. The visa is also applied at the British Embassy in Manila, it added.

On the hiring of au pair, the UK has advised that no au pair visas will be issued by the British Embassy to Filipinos since the Philippines have never been included in the UK’s list of au pair countries. The au pair visa scheme was abolished on Nov. 26, 2008 and has been replaced by the Youth Mobility Scheme under the new UK Points-Based System. --Michaela P. Del Callar, Daily Tribune