I love checklists.
Let me correct that.
I love ticking off items in my checklist.
So my job offer and employment contract came in October and my employer told me that I could already apply for work visa. Good thing I already had a “practice” in applying for visa when I initially applied for visitor visa (which got approved, by the way), so I already know how the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) online application works. It’s just a matter of gathering heaps of documentation. I needed to have to-do lists and start checking them one by one.
Applying for work visa with INZ
I’m sharing here my checklist for my work visa application:
- Employer Supplementary form
- Evidence of Advertising (from employer) – proof that there are no New Zealanders qualified for the role
- Job offer and position description
- eMedical Information Sheet (from the medical exam)
- Police Certificate
- Academic Transcript
- College Diploma
- Letter of Appointment (from previous employer)
- Certificates of Employment (from previous employers)
- Reference letters (from previous managers)
- Training Certificates of Completion
- Certificates of Appreciation
- Certificate of years of service
- Job description (from previous employer)
- Regularisation notice (from previous employer)
- Latest payslips
- Birth Certificate
- Birth Certificate of younger sister
- Permanent resident visa of younger sister
- Latest passport
As you can see, I made sure that I did all my homework–documentation and medical–to ensure that I am substantially covered. If you’re interested in applying for work visa, it’s best to be over-prepared.
Applying for Overseas Employment Certificate with POEA
While I was waiting for my visa approval, I also did my homework to check with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) regarding the requirements for securing an Overseas Employment Certificate (Philippine exit clearance). All Filipinos with work visas need to go through them before exiting the Philippines. This IS the tricky part. Gathering their documentary requirements was more daunting for me than with INZ.
Here’s my checklist for my Overseas Employment Certificate application:
- Authenticated employment contract (in my case, authentication was done by Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Australia since there’s no POLO Office in NZ)
- Statement of how I was able to get this employment
- Company Profile of employer
- Copy of Certificate of Incorporation / Business registration of employer
- Copy of employer’s passport / driver’s license
- Academic Transcript
- College Diploma
- Certificates of Employment (from previous employers)
- Birth Certificate
- Birth Certificate of younger sister
- Permanent resident visa of younger sister
- Latest passport with work visa
- Personal insurance*
- Pre-Departure Orientation and Seminar (PDOS) Certificate by OWWA
- Fees: POEA processing fee (USD 100.00 or PHP equivalent), OWWA membership fee (USD 25.00 or PHP equivalent)
This checklist of requirements is also in the website of POEA under Name Hires (or direct hires) but my advice is for you is to go to POEA and check with them personally and have your documents evaluated.
*I had to get my own insurance from NZ since POEA was requiring that the employer should include a repatriation clause in the employment contract (In the event of death of the employee…, his remains and personal belongings shall be repatriated to the Philippines at the expense of the employer). Of course, my employer reasoned that they are NOT required to insert such requests in their employment agreements since they operate in NZ, under NZ laws, and their contracts more than reasonably meet NZ laws and are fully compliant. In short, my employer said that it was my responsibility to get adequate insurance policy which covers accidents, deaths, illness, etc., which was fine with me.
Hope these checklists help and you’d be able to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. When you get your work visa, don’t celebrate yet! Remember you still have to meet the requirements of POEA. Once you get that little green paper (the OEC / e-Receipt), now you can officially resign from your current work and throw a send-off party! 😉
Hello. Can I ask you, how did you get your authenticated employment contract? I already have my working visa, but i’m having trouble at the poea requirements because of that one document. Can you please help me? Hoping for your response. Thank you. Godspeed.
LikeLike
Hello. Good day.
I was able to read your blog about your new zealand employment. And I would just like to ask if how did you get your authenticated employment contract.
I was about to my PDOS but they require me to pass them the verified employment contract by POLO. Unfortunately, I don’t have an agency here in the Philippines.
Can you help me? Your response would be a great help.
Sincerely,
Ralexa Basilio
LikeLike
Hi Ralexa, you can email Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Australia: poloaustralia@yahoo.com.au or visit their website: https://www.philembassy.org.au. Tell them you’d like to request to authenticate your Employment Contract from your NZ employer. You would have to send the papers to them then they will send it back to you with the authentation. Good luck!
LikeLike
Hi, I was wondering if you can share what were the required document for the “verified employment contract” and perhaps if you remember how much the fee was. Thanks!
LikeLike
Hi Kenneth, like I said in above comment, you can email POLO Australia to have your employment contract verified by them. They required me to send them:
– copy of Certificate of Incorporation/ Business registration of employer
– Employment contract (original, signed on all pages)
– copy of passport and work visa of worker
– copy of employer’s passport/driver’s license
The fees (verification fee of A$72, authentication fee of A$63 and mailing fee A$125) in total were A$260. Best to email them ’cause they may have changed the requirements / fees. Good luck!
LikeLike
Hello Libby,
Just wondering, where did you get your personal insurance in NZ? This is also one of my requirement for OEC. Can you share the insurance name, contact number and how you get it? 🙂 Thank you, Libby!
Best,
Jeo
LikeLike
Hi! So sorry for the late response. Hope you got your insurance and visa all got sorted out. I got Southern Cross Travel Insurance (you can google it). I purchased it online. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your checklists. It’s indeed very Very helpful. I just have still few questions if you don’t mind. I am a nurse and I just got my working visa (Australia) . POEA / OWWA requires me to submit employment contract verified by POLO in Australia. My questions are:
1. Did you request your contract verification from the Philippines?
2. When you say original employment contract signed each page by whom? by the employer or by the employee?
3. When you say copy of employer’s passport does it mean the owner or even the HR head’s copy of passport or whoever in the HR department?
4. Did POLO Australia send you athenticated / verified contract via courier or email? and if email did PEOA accepted it?
5. How long is the contract verification process?
6. When you got your verified/ authenticated contract and submitted it to POEA did you have your PDOS right away or if not? How long did you wait to have an anppointment for PDOS?
Thank you so much for your response. It will be very much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Monica
LikeLike
Hi, I’m really sorry for the late reply. I haven’t been active in my blog lately. Did you get your visa sorted?
1. Did you request your contract verification from the Philippines? Yes
2. When you say original employment contract signed each page by whom? by the employer or by the employee? Both employer and employee
3. When you say copy of employer’s passport does it mean the owner or even the HR head’s copy of passport or whoever in the HR department? In my case, it was the owner
4. Did POLO Australia send you athenticated / verified contract via courier or email? and if email did PEOA accepted it? Via courier
5. How long is the contract verification process? Sorry I don’t remember now. 1-2 weeks?
6. When you got your verified/ authenticated contract and submitted it to POEA did you have your PDOS right away or if not? How long did you wait to have an anppointment for PDOS? I did it all the same day
Hope it helps. 🙂
LikeLike
Hello,
I also got a job from NZ. I hope you can help me with my inquiries.
1. How long did it take for POLO to authenticate your contract?
2. Where did you get your personal insurance? I might get one cause my contract does not include repatriation clause.
Thanks.
LikeLike
Congrats on your new job! Here are my answers:
1. How long did it take for POLO to authenticate your contract? I don’t remember now… Maybe 1-2 weeks.
2. Where did you get your personal insurance? I might get one cause my contract does not include repatriation clause. I purchased it online through Southern Cross Travel Insurance. Hope this helps.
Thanks.
LikeLike
Hi, thanks for your blog. It’s a big help for me trying to sort out my problem in POEA – OEC.
May I ask if your employer send to you via courier the original contract with sign and copies of their passport, or if they just sent it to you via email? I got my job online and all our contract were done online (print, scan, sign, email).
Can you help me with this? Thank you.
LikeLike
Hi! They sent those to me via email. 😊
LikeLike
So they just scanned the copy? Maybe a colored scan? Cause POEA won’t accept if the contract looks like a xerox copy.
Thank you for the answer!
LikeLike
It was emailed to me and printed it coloured.
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
Hello there! You’re blog is very helpful to us. Btw, what files have you notarized for the application of working visa? I did not go to an agency that is why I have to do it on my own and got confused. Shall I notarize the certificate of employment(previous) too? And other certificates?
LikeLike
Hi! I’m so sorry for the late reply… I actually don’t remember having them notarised for the work visa application. I uploaded those files online in INZ. But yeah, I included all COEs, even my past employers. Hope this helps!
LikeLike
Hello there! How much have you spent for the insurance? the southern cross travel’s website has been taken down temporarily. Thank you so much and you’re blog really helped me a lot :)).
LikeLike
Hi Chum, I don’t remember now… maybe 500-600 NZD I think! I’m sure there are still other insurance out there! 🙂
LikeLike
thanks for sharing this
LikeLike