Court proceedings are now underway against a Manila-based travel and visa firm accused of recruiting Filipinos for American jobs it had no authority to offer, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed as it again flagged the company to the public.
The agency pointed to Visa to America Manila Inc. as a cautionary example in its latest advisory against fraudulent overseas employment schemes. According to the DMW, the consultancy marketed work placements in the United States despite holding no license to deploy workers abroad.
Many of those who came forward were teachers, based on accounts brought to the Senator Raffy Tulfo in Action program. Complainants said they were promised US-based jobs with departures arranged within three months of paying. The fees charged ran from PhP370,000 to PhP500,000, covering both processing and family applications, alongside an assurance that, “By December of 2024, nasa America ka na, doon ka na magpapasko.”
Several complaints have already advanced through the judicial system, the DMW noted, including filings lodged at Regional Trial Court Branch 284 in Cabarroguis, Quirino.
The crackdown traces back to August 1, 2025, when the DMW ordered the shutdown of the firm’s main office along Ortigas in Pasig City. Seven branches were closed alongside it, located in Cebu City, Lucena City, Iloilo City, Santiago City in Isabela, Quezon, Davao City, and Zamboanga City.
The agency has urged anyone else affected by the scheme to step forward and file formal complaints so that those behind the operation can be held accountable.
