A VISA consulting firm and its multiple branches across the country have been padlocked by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) after allegedly engaging in illegal recruitment activities.
Late Friday, August 1, 2025, the DMW conducted simultaneous shutdown operations targeting Visa To America Manila Inc., its main office in Pasig City, as well as seven of its branches in Cebu City, Lucena City, Iloilo City, Santiago City, Quezon City, Davao City, and Zamboanga City.
“They are recruiting for overseas employment without a DMW license. Under the law, that constitutes illegal recruitment,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac in a statement.
The department said the illegal recruitment scheme involved offering J1 and H1B visas to prospective clients seeking employment as teachers and professionals in the hospitality industry.
Job applicants were reportedly enticed to apply with a promised salary ranging from US$40,000 to US$100,000 for jobs in various states in the United States.
The consulting company offered visa processing, mock job interviews, job application assistance, and help in preparing clients’ curriculum vitae, for a fee of US$5,400 for a J1 visa and US$8,500 for an H1B visa, equivalent to P300,000 to P500,000.
The DMW noted that the firm has allegedly deployed over 50 clients to the U.S. since it began operations in 2022.
"The recruitment method, the contract, the visa, the deployment method, the job interview, all those things are regulated under the DMW. But if you don't have a license, you will skip all of those," said Cacdac. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
