(PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL) — Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Cataumber Brady has warned Filipinos to be wary of illegal recruiters promising high paying jobs in China.
In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Brady noted that a growing number of Filipinos have become victims of Filipino and foreign illegal recruiters enticing Filipinos to work in Beijing and other cities in China.
They ended up underpaid, jobless, or jailed for working, for staying illegally or beyond their visa validity.
While it is true that there is a need for English teachers in China, not all schools are authorized by the Chinese government to hire foreign teachers.
Most of the cases of contract breaches and illegal recruitment involve unauthorized schools and fly-by-night recruitment agencies who hire Filipino teachers via the internet or by telephone.
The Philippine Embassy also warns Filipinos against recruiters who lead them to believe that they can obtain European or U.S. visas in Beijing upon payment of a huge fee.
Embassies of the United States and European countries, as a policy, do not grant visas to tourists (tourist “L” visa holders).
One has to be a resident of China to be entitled to apply for a Schengen or U.S. in China.
The embassy reported that Filipinos holding fake Schengen or U.S. visas who succeeded in transiting from Beijing eventually end up being deported back to Beijing or Manila by European or U.S. immigration officials.