How Australian employers get accredited to recruit Filipino workers

The ban on direct hiring

Article 18 of the Philippine Labor Code and Republic Act 10022 prohibit foreign employers from hiring Filipino workers directly. The Department of Migrant Workers grants an exemption for name-hires — but MWO Canberra's own advisory sets the ceiling: an Australian employer may process at most five Filipino workers as name-hires, and must declare that it has not partnered with a Philippine recruitment agency. Beyond five, a licensed agency is not a convenience; it is the only lawful route.

A DMW-licensed agency is the party that registers your job order, recruits under it, and secures each worker's Overseas Employment Certificate — the document without which a Filipino worker is not allowed to board. For the regulator itself — what the DMW is and why it exists — see our explainer at /dmw/.

What compliance looks like in practice

• Employer verification — your business registration, the employment contract template and the agency agreement are verified by MWO Canberra.
• Job order — registered with the DMW for the occupation and headcount; recruitment happens under it.
• Contract — signed by the worker and verified before departure; terms cannot be below the verified template.
• Exit — medical, pre-departure orientation, Overseas Employment Certificate; DMW clears the departure.
• Afterwards — returning workers use the same verified file (Balik-Manggagawa); second waves reuse the job order.

Why it protects you

The Philippine system exists because unlicensed recruitment leads to debt-bonded workers and exploitation cases — including in Europe in 2026. An employer whose file went through the DMW has a verifiable record with the Philippine state, a worker who came through a licensed and inspected channel, and a contract both governments have seen. That is worth more than the paperwork it takes. Everything here is subject to applicable Australian skills assessment, licensing, occupation and visa requirements and Philippine law.

Frequently asked questions

• We hired two Filipinos ourselves last year — is that a problem?

  Name-hires up to five are lawful with the DMW exemption. Beyond that, or for any programme you want to repeat, the licensed-agency route is required.

• Can we verify your licence?

  Yes — DMW-027-LB-11182024 is searchable in the DMW's public licensed-agency database; MWO Canberra can confirm our standing as well.

• Does the Philippine process slow down the Australian one?

  No. It runs in parallel with sponsorship and the visa; the only sequencing rule is that the contract is verified before departure.