A Philippine legal article on how to confirm an agency is legally allowed to recruit for overseas work, how to verify specific job orders and principals, and what to do if something looks suspicious.

1) What “POEA license” means today

In everyday speech, many Filipinos still say “POEA-licensed”. In legal and administrative reality, the government’s overseas employment functions have been reorganized, and licensing/regulation of private recruitment agencies is now under the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) (with POEA’s former regulatory functions largely absorbed/continued there).

Practical takeaway: when people say “POEA license,” what you need to verify is the agency’s DMW-issued authority to recruit (often still reflected in public registries and documents that reference POEA/DMW).

2) Why verification matters legally (not just practically)

A) Recruitment without a license is a crime

Under Philippine law (Labor Code framework as strengthened by the Migrant Workers Act and its amendments), a person or entity that recruits or offers overseas work without a valid government license/authority may be liable for illegal recruitment, and often also for estafa (if deceit and damage are present).

B) Even licensed agencies can commit illegal recruitment

A recruitment agency may be “licensed,” yet still commit illegal recruitment if it performs prohibited acts, such as:

recruiting for jobs without proper job orders/authority,
charging unlawful fees,
misrepresenting job details (salary, position, destination),
deploying workers to a different employer/principal than promised,
collecting money without issuing official receipts,
using unregistered sub-agents or “runners.”

So verification is not only “Is the agency licensed?” but also “Is this specific job authorized and processed correctly?”

3) The gold standard: what exactly should be verified

To protect yourself, verify three layers:

Agency legitimacy: Is the agency currently licensed/authorized (active status)?
Job legitimacy: Is the job order approved and valid for that position/country/salary?
Principal legitimacy: Is the foreign employer/principal properly accredited to that agency for that job order?

If any of the three fails, treat the offer as high risk.

4) Step-by-step: how to verify a recruitment agency’s license (DMW/POEA registry)

Step 1 — Collect the agency’s exact identifiers

Ask for (and write down exactly as shown on documents/signage):

Registered agency name (not a brand name or Facebook page name)
License number
License validity dates (issue/expiry, if shown)
Office address (as stated in the license)
Names of authorized officers/representatives

Red flag: “We’re licensed but we can’t give you our license number,” or “Use a different name when searching.”

Step 2 — Check the official public directory

Use the government’s official online directory for licensed recruitment agencies (DMW / former POEA e-services). Search by:

agency name (exact spelling), and/or
license number.

Confirm:

Status is ACTIVE (or equivalent current/valid status)
Address in the registry matches where you are transacting
Agency type matches your situation (landbased vs manning)

What status labels usually mean

Active/Valid: currently authorized
Suspended: temporarily not allowed to recruit/deploy (often for violations)
Cancelled/Revoked: license terminated
Delisted/Closed: no longer authorized
Expired: not currently authorized

If you see anything other than active/valid, treat it as “do not transact.”

Step 3 — Cross-check government advisories

Government regulators periodically issue public advisories about:

suspended/cancelled agencies,
illegal recruiters posing as agencies,
warnings about certain job offers or principals.

If the agency appears in an adverse advisory, stop and reassess immediately.

Step 4 — Verify you are dealing with the real office (anti-impersonation check)

Scammers sometimes copy the name of a real licensed agency (“name borrowing”). Confirm:

the address and contact details match the official registry,
your transaction happens at the registered office (or an officially declared branch),
the person you’re dealing with is connected to that office through verifiable channels.

Red flag: You’re told to meet in a café, mall, “processing hub,” or “partner office,” and asked to pay there.

5) Verify the specific job order (this is where many scams are hiding)

Even a real licensed agency cannot lawfully recruit for just any overseas job unless that job is properly authorized/processed.

What to check

Job position/title and duties
Country/jobsite
Employer/principal name
Salary and benefits
Job order validity/approval status (whether active and within allowed recruitment numbers)

How to check (conceptually)

The DMW/POEA e-services typically provide search features for approved job orders and/or agency-authorized vacancies. Match what’s posted/advertised to what’s in the registry.

Red flags

The agency says: “Job order is confidential,” “Not yet posted but you can pay now,” or “We’ll fix the papers later.”
The advertised salary/benefits are far better than market norms and are inconsistent across documents.
The job offer changes after you pay (“position downgrade,” “different country,” “different employer”).

6) Verify the foreign employer/principal (accreditation matters)

For overseas deployment through an agency, the foreign employer is usually required to be accredited to that agency.

Confirm that:

the principal is real and identified, not “to be announced,”
the principal is tied to the agency’s approved hiring authority for that job,
you receive documents that consistently identify the same employer across:
- job offer,
- employment contract,
- medical/visa instructions,
- processing papers.

Red flag: The contract shows Employer A, but visa processing references Employer B, and the agency explains it away as “normal.”

7) Landbased vs seafarers: different verification emphasis

A) Landbased workers

Common verification points:

active agency license,
active job order for the position/country,
employer/principal accreditation,
contract terms consistent with what DMW processes (salary, hours, benefits, repatriation terms, etc.),
fees within lawful limits, documented properly.

B) Seafarers (manning agencies)

For sea-based work, focus on:

the manning agency’s license/status,
the crew employment contract terms consistent with applicable standards,
vessel/principal details,
“no placement fee” expectations commonly associated with seafarer deployment practices (and strict scrutiny of any demanded “processing” money).

Red flag: “Training fee,” “medical package fee,” “slot reservation,” or “placement fee” demanded as a condition to be listed/assigned.

8) Fees and payments: what a legitimate transaction should look like

Basic safest practice

Pay only through official channels of the licensed agency,
Demand an official receipt (not handwritten acknowledgment on scratch paper),
Avoid cash handoffs to individuals, “coordinators,” or “runners.”

Unlawful or suspicious fee patterns

“Reservation fee” to secure a slot,
“Show money” schemes,
“Under-the-table” payments to speed up processing,
large payments required before you even see a coherent written offer/contract.

Even when certain fees are allowed under specific rules, legitimate agencies are expected to be transparent, receipted, and consistent with official guidance.

9) Documentary checkpoints that should be consistent (anti-scam consistency test)

A legitimate process tends to have internal consistency. Compare these documents for matching names/details:

Agency name and address (must match registry)
Employer/principal name (must match across papers)
Jobsite/country (consistent)
Position title (consistent)
Salary and benefits (consistent)
Processing instructions (coherent and not contradictory)

High-risk sign: multiple “versions” of the story depending on who you talk to, or sudden changes after payment.

10) Online recruitment and social media offers: how to verify safely

Many legitimate agencies advertise online, but online ads are also the #1 place for impersonators.

Minimum safe steps:

Never trust screenshots of “POEA license” alone.
Verify via the official registry using the agency name/license number.
Confirm the job order exists for that agency and that offer details match.
Verify the office location and transact at the registered site (or confirmed official branch).
Do not send money to personal e-wallets/bank accounts of individuals.

Red flag: recruiter refuses video call verification at the agency office, or insists on private chat only.

11) What to do if the agency is unlicensed or the offer looks illegal

A) Preserve evidence immediately

Keep:

chat messages, emails, call logs,
receipts, deposit slips, bank transfer records,
IDs shown, business cards, posters,
screenshots of advertisements,
copies/photos of any “contracts” or forms.

B) Where complaints commonly go

Depending on the facts, cases can be brought to:

DMW (licensing/regulatory complaints; assistance and enforcement)
POEA/DMW regional or attached offices handling recruitment violations
PNP/NBI (criminal complaints, entrapment operations in proper cases)
DOJ/prosecutor’s office (for illegal recruitment and related crimes)
Local government/Barangay can help for immediate dispute documentation, but criminal/regulatory routes are typically necessary for enforcement.

C) Possible legal cases

Illegal recruitment (especially if unlicensed or prohibited acts)
Estafa (if deception caused loss of money/property)
Other violations depending on the scheme (forgery, identity misuse, etc.)

12) Quick “pass/fail” checklist

PASS (minimum):

Agency appears in official registry as ACTIVE/VALID
Address matches registry
Job order exists and matches offer (position/country/salary/employer)
Employer/principal is accredited to that agency for that job
Payments are transparent, receipted, and consistent with lawful practices

FAIL (stop):

Not found in registry / status not active
“We’re licensed under another name” with no verifiable record
No job order but asks for money
Employer/principal unclear or inconsistent
Payments to individuals, no official receipts, meeting outside office
Pressure tactics: “limited slots—pay now,” threats, or secrecy

13) Bottom line

Verifying a “POEA license” in the Philippine context means confirming—through official DMW/POEA registries and documentation—that the agency is currently authorized, that the specific job order is approved, and that the foreign principal is properly accredited. A licensed name alone is not enough; the legality and safety of overseas recruitment depends on the authorization chain from agency → job order → principal → contract → deployment documents, with transparent, receipted transactions throughout.