07 Mar 2007

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL, SYDNEY WARNS FILIPINO TOURISTS AGAINST SEEKING JOBS IN AUSTRALIA

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, Australia reiterates its warning to Filipinos who enter Australia using tourist or temporary resident visas to search for job opportunities in that country, which violates Australian immigration regulations. The Consulate likewise warns Filipinos to be wary of Philippine travel agencies that allegedly promise jobs under the guise of package tours in Australia .

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro stated that a group of six Filipinos was refused entry and detained by Australian immigration authorities at Sydney ’s Kingsford Smith International Airport last weekend because allegedly the Filipinos had intentions that appeared to be inconsistent with the conditions of their visa.

The group of Filipinos was believed to have applied through a Philippine-based travel agency that allegedly provided misleading information on work opportunities while offering package tours to Australia . One of the victims said that the travel agency mentioned that they could freely prospect for jobs or secure potential employer referrals in the course of their tour.

“The suggestion that a Filipino tourist can simply look for work or network with potential employers while on vacation is utterly and completely wrong,” Consul General Lazaro emphasized. “This is clearly misleading as foreign tourists are not allowed to prospect for jobs in Australia ; neither is a foreign tourist allowed to prospect for potential employers directly.”

The Consul General explained that, for an employer to directly hire an overseas skilled worker, the employer should have secured prior approval from the Australian Department of Immigration to sponsor the worker and satisfied the Philippine requirements for overseas employment contracts. The worker may then accordingly be issued a business visa.

The Consulate expects the Australian Government to impose tighter security checks and identity checks for foreign travelers entering via the Sydney airport in the lead-up to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be held in Sydney in September 2007. The security measures, despite the probable inconvenience to all private travelers including Filipinos, are being implemented to reduce the possibility of untoward incidents in Sydney. The Consul General appealed to Filipinos “not to misrepresent themselves or their intentions to avoid further complications upon their arrival in Australia .”

Individuals who are refused entry in Sydney are either deported immediately or are temporarily detained at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre – Sydney ’s immigration detention facility – until the next available flight. They are also banned from entering Australia for a three-year period.