Originally posted by symonh2000@Jan 15 2006, 02:17 PM
Hi and thanks for the help. What happened was.. I met her a while ago on a dating website and we have been getting on really well ever since, when I met her she had already signed up with a agency over in the Philipines that would take care of all the paperwork etc to get her employed here. She has just applied for the Visa, but has the work permit already. I think her parents paid the agency for them to take care of everything, it's a pity because I have found out since that the agency is not really needed if you know what to do.
Most of these agencies are illegal and immoral, and take a huge cut for themselves when they have no right to. Filipinos call the payment 'bans', the agency call it 'placement fee' and they seem to think it is a necessary evil if you want to work abroad. Sometimes it amounts to months or even years of the salary the applicant will be earning, but they are prepared to do it just to get out of the cesspit work situation in their own country.