The highly anticipated downgrade policy for POGO worker visas has passed the October 15 deadline. According to the latest news from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), less than half of the foreigners working in various offshore gaming operators (POGO) offices in the Philippines have voluntarily downgraded their worker visas.
Out of over 30,000 foreign POGO workers in the country, only 12,000 have voluntarily switched to temporary visitor visas.
Most shockingly, among the 12,000 who applied for the downgrade, 17 were recently arrested in Makati City for working in a scam center immediately after applying for the downgrade. Related: Breaking! 17 Chinese nationals arrested in a raid at a cyber gambling company in Daya Resort!
In response to this situation, BI spokesperson Sandoval stated that foreign POGO employees who apply to downgrade their 9G work visas to tourist visas need to leave the country within 59 days by the end of the year. It is important to note that these foreign workers receive a 59-day temporary visitor visa after the downgrade, intended to allow them to sort out personal affairs and prepare for departure, but they are not allowed to wander around, travel, or engage in any work during this period.
The Bureau of Immigration states that from now on, it will differentiate between the following two categories of people:
Foreign workers who voluntarily downgrade their work visa level:
They will receive humane treatment later, such as having time to complete their unfinished business in the Philippines, and if there are legitimate reasons to return to the Philippines, they can still come back. This includes those who already have families in the Philippines and those who wish to legally apply for other industries.
Foreigners who fail to downgrade their visa level on time:
These individuals will face penalties, and a departure order will automatically be recorded in their passports, meaning they need to leave the country immediately. This means that, although it is not a bad record, it will permanently stay in the foreigner's passport and may become an obstacle to returning to the Philippines. Sandoval said, "In the future, if immigration officers see this, they will conduct stricter scrutiny on these individuals, as this is seen as a dangerous signal of foreigners illegally staying in the country without downgrading their visa level."
So, is there a chance to remedy if you didn't manage to apply for a visa downgrade in time?
Unfortunately, according to current information, it is not possible. Bureau of Immigration Director Joel Villado earlier stated that the application period will not be extended, and those who did not complete their applications by the deadline will no longer have the opportunity to submit them.
However, regardless of whether the downgrade is applied for or not, the basic difference in time is just 59 days. After the end of 2024, whether or not a visa downgrade has been applied for, as long as these individuals remain in the Philippines, they will be considered illegal, will be arrested, deported, and blacklisted.
Analysts believe that these foreign workers, after losing their work visas, face the imminent threat of deportation, and their home countries may not be able to provide sufficient security, thus creating an awkward status and the risk of being forced to "go underground" long-term, adding to social instability factors. Additionally, more than half of the workers not applying for a downgrade might be an unforeseen situation by the officials, and if not handled properly, it could lead to social chaos.
At the same time, although the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and the government are trying to control the flow and compliance of foreign employees in the POGO industry through strict visa and management measures, on the other hand, they also face strong international criticism regarding human rights issues in the Philippines. The international community and some human rights organizations have accused the Philippines of possibly being too harsh in handling POGO-related issues, neglecting the basic rights of foreign workers.
