The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has ordered the immediate shutdown of Visa to America Manila, Inc., a private visa consulting firm operating across the Philippines, over alleged illegal recruitment activities.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Undersecretary Bernard Olalia led the enforcement of the closure order at the company’s main office in Ortigas, Pasig City.
Simultaneous operations were also conducted in its seven other branches located in Quezon City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Davao City, Zamboanga City, Santiago City in Isabela, and in Washington D.C., United States.
According to the DMW, the firm was engaged in recruitment for overseas employment without the necessary license. It had reportedly deployed over 50 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the United States since 2022, offering teaching and hospitality jobs through J-1 and H-1B visa programs with salary promises ranging from $40,000 to $100,000.
“If they are matching workers with employers in the U.S., that constitutes overseas recruitment, which requires a DMW license. Without it, it is clearly a case of illegal recruitment,” Cacdac said.
Visa to America Manila advertises itself as having 31 years of “immigration expertise,” offering visa processing, consultancy, IT services, legal support, and mock interviews. However, DMW stressed that such activities cannot include recruitment without proper authorization.
The agency said it will also look into the status of the OFWs who used the company’s services to ensure compliance with labor and immigration laws.
The US Embassy in Manila has recently implemented stricter measures in visa applications, including requiring all non-immigrant visa applicants to publicly set their social media accounts for background checks.
