OFW Visa Cost

Two reasons. (1) Saudi visa fees + Saudi-side medical are subsidized or paid by the employer for most domestic-worker and construction contracts — under Saudi labor law, the kafala-system employer covers visa stamping. (2) Canada and Australia require English-language proficiency (IELTS ₱14,000) and biometrics fees that don't exist for Gulf placements. Total upfront from PH side: ~₱18K for Saudi vs ~₱45K for Canada vs ~₱42K for Australia.

No. Direct hires (where you found the employer yourself, no middleman) pay zero agency placement fee. You still pay all PH-side processing (DFA passport, NBI, PDOS, OWWA, PhilHealth) but skip the ~₱20K agency cost. Uncheck the 'Going through agency' box in the calculator. Note: direct-hire OEC processing at DMW used to require a Direct Hiring Section endorsement; this is now streamlined for many destinations.

UAE: 1–2 months (fastest, well-oiled visa machine). Saudi Arabia: 2–4 months (paperwork through Saudi consulate). Singapore / Hong Kong: 1–2 months once employer sponsorship is approved by MOM / HK Immigration. Japan SSW: 3–6 months (JLPT/JFT scheduling, sector skills test). South Korea EPS: 6–12 months (depends on annual EPS-TOPIK exam cycle and Korean employer match). Canada: 3–8 months (LMIA, IELTS, biometrics). Italy: 6–18 months (Decreto Flussi annual quota lottery). US EB visa: typically over 2 years and can stretch 5+ years due to PH retrogression.

Italy uses an annual Decreto Flussi system — the Italian government opens a fixed quota of work permits each year (≈80K–100K total worldwide), and applications must be filed during a narrow window. The Italian employer files a nulla osta (work authorization), which can take 6+ months to approve, and then you file the D visa from Manila. For nurses, you also need to register with Ministero della Salute (separate process). It's slow but worth it: Italian permesso di soggiorno leads to PR in 5 years.

Most agency placements front-load the costs in the first 30 days. PH-side (DFA, NBI, OWWA, PhilHealth, PDOS, medical) is paid by you in cash before deployment. Destination visa fees are usually paid by the employer (Gulf, Singapore, HK) — they recover via salary deduction over 6–24 months. For Canada/Australia/US/Italy, you typically pay the visa fee yourself. Agency fee under RA 10022 cannot exceed 1 month's basic salary and is paid before deployment, often via the agency's installment plan.

Yes — RA 10022 (amended Migrant Workers Act) caps the placement fee at one month of basic salary for skilled workers, and ₱0 for household service workers (domestic workers exempt). The ₱20K figure in this calculator is a conservative typical placement fee for skilled OFW workers — some agencies charge less; charging more than the legal cap is illegal. If quoted higher, ask the agency for their DMW license and the breakdown.

Yes. OWWA membership ($25 ≈ ₱1,400) is mandatory for all OFWs under RA 10801 — it funds emergency repatriation, scholarships, and welfare programs. PhilHealth contribution (₱2,400 annual minimum for OFWs) is also mandatory per RA 11223 — many destinations now require proof of PhilHealth coverage before exit clearance. Both are valid for 2 years after which they need renewal.

No. All math runs in your browser. Your destination, passport tier, agency status — none of it leaves your device.