Teenagers Expat Dependant - Allowed To Work?

[Jollygoodfellow]

under 21 they are dependants on my visa, but I will switch them to student visas.

immigration agents are vendors paid for by my company - "santa fe relocation"

I could not get clear answers off the gov site as to what rights dependants and students had. So was looking for the general feel from fellow expats

OK; fair enough but I have a feeling most here wont have an answer as I doubt if many have gone though the same situation as you. Lets see! :tiphat:

[SubicSteve]

They gonna be way too busy studying brown eyed girls and da girls will be on them like white on rice.

[Jollygoodfellow]

They gonna be way too busy studying brown eyed girls and da girls will be on them like white on rice.

I was thinking about this situation and a bit off topic but is there any point that the boys go to uni in the Philippines as most degrees are not recognized else where or are not on par to western standards.

[OnMyWay]

They gonna be way too busy studying brown eyed girls and da girls will be on them like white on rice.

Exactly what I was thinking!

[MikeeW]

Amazing what a simple request you have made. My feeling is, the members here will not have had the experience hope for. However, the school(s) you are considering may be of assistance. I don't know if your own government has info such as this for their countrymen. I did wonder what you meant by "rights". I have lived here a few years and a word I see used more commonly is "responsibilities". My school-aged children are taught about their rights (to be born, to have a clean environment, to have a free education). Some of the responsibilities to foreigners here are pretty obvious (obey laws etc). However, there are some that may become an issue without realizing it. For example, a college student may want to show support on some issue and attend a rally or similar activity. This can lead to difficulties if the rally is associated with a political issue. The foreigner is not allowed to participate, as I understand it. If you have not had any travel or living experience here, I would suggest you ask others within your agency/corporation. Sorry if this seems patently obvious, but you may be unaware there are some who can be of assistance. If you are presently outside the country, there are often Philippino groups that informally gather in larger cities and such, sharing experiences as well as selling or trading stuff from here. I'm certain you would find helpful people in these groups.

[JJReyes]

Will they be able to do part time or fulltime jobs in any shape or form? Same question for my expat wife - will she be able to work at all?

I suggest work as a volunteer with a charitable institution. Volunteer work would be good for your sons' resumes when they apply for future jobs. You wife could volunteer with one of the expat women's group. This is a good way to establish her own social network.

The top colleges and universities in the Philippines are accredited by international accrediting agencies recognized by the education departments & ministries of different governments. The agencies certify as to the quality of education or training offered by institutions of higher education. The diploma or credits earned are recognized by other institutes of learning. If you look at their website or brochure, the accreditation agency's name and logo will be included somewhere.

Edited October 1, 2012 by JJR

[i am bob]

Amazing what a simple request you have made. My feeling is, the members here will not have had the experience hope for. However, the school(s) you are considering may be of assistance. I don't know if your own government has info such as this for their countrymen. I did wonder what you meant by "rights". I have lived here a few years and a word I see used more commonly is "resp onsibilities". My school-aged children are taught about their rights (to be born, to have a clean environment, to have a free education). Some of the responsibilities to foreigners here are pretty obvious (obey laws etc). However, there are some that may become an issue without realizing it. For example, a college student may want to show support on some issue and attend a rally or similar activity. This can lead to difficulties if the rally is associated with a political issue. The foreigner is not allowed to participate, as I understand it. If you have not had any travel or living experience here, I would suggest you ask others within your agency/corporation. Sorry if this seems patently obvious, but you may be unaware there are some who can be of assistance. If you are presently outside the country, there are often Philippino groups that informally gather in larger cities and such, sharing experiences as well as selling or trading stuff from here. I'm certain you would find helpful people in these groups.

Sorry MikeeW but I disagree with your comment for the OP to go to another group for a different answer. The answer was given above already by members who I consider very knowledgeable and experienced . If his dependants wish to work, it is going to depend on their Visa. Menial work under the table? It is pretty well non-existent in a country that has so many unemployed as the Philippines. To take work that one of the unemployed could do (menial jobs) could actually end up in a life threatening situation. To work without the proper Visa could also result in expulsion / deportation along with being blacklisted to ever entering the country again. Remember - a foreigner (and their prospective employer) must prove to the Philippine government that the work cannot be completed to achieve the desired results by a native Filipino before the foreigner will be granted the appropriate visa and allowed to do this work.

So, does this mean that the OP's sons will not be allowed to work at all? NO! Being students, I doubt that they would want to change their Visa status and run a business that does fall within the allowable framework (incorporate with 60% Filipino ownership / sole ownership with 60% import of product, etc) but they could perform work offshore like many expats do. This includes things like operating an online business based in their own country, writing articles for foreign publication (magazines, newspapers, etc) or even starting their own blogs. They just have to ensure that they set it up properly.

Your ideas on a person's rights are pretty good. I want to slip in a bit so that some others might have a better understanding. A person's rights are those that are written down in the laws of the country. Did you know a person does not always have the right to have clean air and water? If it is not written down in the laws of the country you are in, you don't have that right. That is why you see things like the various Protocol Meetings through the UN and other similar groups regarding this. Each country that signs such a protocol is stating that it will make the requirements of that protocol a law in their country. An example is the Kyoto Protocol that was UN sponsored. A person's responsibilities is simply a term for knowing what those "rights" are they have and acting accordingly. In other words, reasonably knowing that you are not breaking the law. And this is something that, as foreign visitors to the Philippines, we have as a responsibility. Such as if we have the right to work or not under the Visa we have entered the country under.

[ancienrocka]

Here on a student visa - not allowed to work.

Form a corporation and make them a job offer - they have several options - 9g work visa or 47(a)2 PEZA/BOI visa - and a few even more obscure.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Will they be able to do part time or fulltime jobs in any shape or form? Same question for my expat wife - will she be able to work at all?

I suggest work as a volunteer with a charitable institution. Volunteer work would be good for your sons' resumes when they apply for future jobs. You wife could volunteer with one of the expat women's group. This is a good way to establish her own social network.

The top colleges and universities in the Philippines are accredited by international accrediting agencies recognized by the education departments & ministries of different governments. The agencies certify as to the quality of education or training offered by institutions of higher education. The diploma or credits earned are recognized by other institutes of learning. If you look at their website or brochure, the accreditation agency's name and logo will be included somewhere.

Then why is it those such as doctors are working as nurses in other country's? Here in Australia a simple care givers certificate from the Philippines wont allow you to do that work unless you do a course here.

[JJReyes]

Then why is it those such as doctors are working as nurses in other country's? Here in Australia a simple care givers certificate from the Philippines wont allow you to do that work unless you do a course here.

One of my medical doctor associates involved in the healthcare industry received accreditation from a Canadian organization for his eight nursing homes in the Philippines. Students from the nursing schools who train with them receive a certificate that is recognized by both the Australian and Canadian governments.

Philippine doctors are so desperate for employment they are willing to work as nurses overseas. While the news article did not mention medical doctors, a BBC World Report talked about the faded dreams of over 200,000 Philippine nurses who can't find employment.