DFA chief pins blame on PH labor attaché for US H-24, H-2B visa ban

In another tweet, Locsin sarcastically thanked the labour attache whom he did not name for “denouncing” the “work/study J1 visas as slavery.” (File photo: Teddy Boy Locsin/Facebook)

If there is someone to blame on the decision of the United States (US) to impose a one-year ban on the issuance of temporary work visas to Filipinos, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said it is one of the country’s labor attachés.

On Wednesday, January 23, a reporter from Bloomberg TV Philippines sought Locsin’s comment regarding the ban, to which the DFA chief responded, “One of our labor attaches questioned such visas so I guess we got what we asked for.”

In another tweet, Locsin sarcastically thanked the labour attache whom he did not name for “denouncing” the “work/study J1 visas as slavery.”

According to the website of the US Department of State (DOS), the J-1 or the exchange visitor visa is issued for individuals “approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs.”

“She started the halls rolling. Salamat (Thank you) on behalf of Filipinos who won’t be allowed into the US anymore. Good work,” the DFA chief said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier announced the removal of the Philippines from its list of countries eligible for H-2A and H-2B work visas.

This means that Filipinos cannot seek employment under agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) sectors in the U.S from January 19, 2019 until January 18, 2020.

Explaining its decision, the DHS said, “The Philippines has a high H-2B overstay rate. In FY 2017, DHS estimated that nearly 40 percent of H-2B visa holders from the Philippines overstayed their period of authorized stay.”

It also expressed its concern over the “high volume” of trafficking victims from the Philippines who were originally issued H-2B visas, as well as the “potential that continued H-2B visa issuance may encourage or serve as an avenue for future human trafficking from the Philippines.”

Concerns of overstaying and human trafficking, it stressed, were “severe enough” for them to remove the Philippines from the H-2A visa program as well.

“This concern is informed by a four-fold increase in H-2A visa applications from nationals of the Philippines between FY 2015-2018. The Philippines’ continued inclusion creates the potential for abuse, fraud, and other harm to the integrity of the H-2A or H-2B visa programs,” the DHS said.

The DFA had said the Philippine government is open to working with the US to address the issues that resulted to the ban and reminded Filipinos in the US to follow its immigration rules and “avoid staying beyond what is allowed in their visas.”

Meanwhile, the Palace, through Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, said it respects the US’s decision if it has a basis for eliminating the Philippines in its eligibility list. However, if it is found that there is no basis for such restriction, then the Philippines may ask for reconsideration.

Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) Administrator Bernard Olalia said on GMA’s State of the Nation with Jessica Soho that they will work with other Philippine agencies like the DFA to solve the matter, adding that POEA will try to assist these overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be affected by the ban to get opportunities in other markets abroad.