Articles under this Page:

• Department of Labor and Employment - Philippines to put up new labour office in Ireland
• Advice about new Long Term Residency requirement
• Police /NBI clearance now a requirement for Long Term Residency Application
• Renewal of Permission to Remain on the basis of valid employment permit
• Update about Nurses who have failed registration examinations

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Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo D. Brion said the DOLE plans to put up Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Australia and New Zealand, western Canada, Ireland, and central China. The government will strengthen the protection of OFWs by establishing labor offices in strategic areas of the globe where there are great concentrations of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Brion emphasized the need to put up post for the first time in Ireland where OFWs, specially overseas Filipino medical personnel, have attained "a very strong presence." DOLE figures indicate that Ireland hosted a total of 5,439 documented OFWs last year, at the same time that the deployment of OFWs in Canada grew by 78.2% (+2,839) to 6,468 from 3,629, and in Australia by 295.5 percent (+1,732) to 2,318 in 2006, from 586 in 2005. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong special administrative region in China hosted 96,929 OFWs last year. "These are our emerging labor markets that will sustain deployment in the years to come," the Labor Chief said.

Brion said the presence of POLOs onsite ensures OFWs with protection, such as facilitating onsite services that include welfare, and providing complaints assistance against abusive employers, visitation, humanitarian help, among others. But, the Labor Chief emphasized that while the OFWs continue to be globally preferred and in continuous demand worldwide, the main policy of the country is not marketing, but the protection of Filipinos who have opted to pursue the work opportunities abroad. Source: DOLE Information and Publication Service

POLICE / NBI (National Bureau Investigation) CLEARANCE NOW A REQUIREMENT FOR LTR APPLICATION

It has come to the notice in the Philippine Consulate office that since about the second week of September 2007,  the Department of Justice has started notifying  Long Term Residency applicants that they are required to get an NBI clearance from Manila to prove they didn't have a criminal record before they came to Ireland.  They are also required to obtain a police clearance from any other country they may have lived in before coming to Ireland.

During last week  four Filipinos have come the Consul's clinic to have their fingerprinting done on NBI cards.  The Consul has 13 NBI card left.   It costs 28 Euros.

The Philippine Consul is advising Filipinos to get an NBI clearance when on holidays in the Philippines.  The  processing time for long Term Residency has now increased to 14 weeks.

A notice has been posted in the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) offices at Burgh Quay, Dublin regarding renewal of ‘Work Permit Permission’ for people who do not yet have their new work permit, in certain circumstances: The work permit permission (registration Stamp No. 1) will be renewed for one year without production of the new permit if the person:

§  Has been registered with GNIB for 3 consecutive years

§  Has proof that they or their employer has applied for a renewal

§  Is not changing employer

§  Has a current wage/salary slip and most recent P60

§  Has complied with the conditions of their permission to remain in Ireland

Persons who have been less than 3 years on a ‘work permit permission’ (Stamp 1) and do not yet have their new permit can renew their permission to remain for 3 months. They can choose to renew without being issued a new Registration Certificate at no charge, or with a new certificate for €100. If they opt for a new certificate it will be valid for only 3 months and they will be charged a further €100 when their work permit is renewed. (MRCI E-Newsletter)

The national Training and Employment Authority, FAS, has confirmed to Migrant Rights Centre (MRCI) that non-EEA work permit holders with an Immigration ‘Stamp 1’ who have been made redundant can access both the self-service facilities of the FAS Employment Services offices as well as availing of an interview with an Employment Services Officer if they wish.  In addition, a new policy has been agreed whereby work-permit holders who become redundant can now be registered on FAS’s database and actively matched against any suitable and available jobs. www.fas.ie

(MRCI News)