Filipino dependents in the Kingdom are flocking to the Philippine Embassy to correct their status and authenticate documents ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline set by the Ministry of Labor.
A reliable source told Arab News that dependents visit the embassy daily to either authenticate their documents for employment or renew their passports.
One dependent from Riyadh said that she came to the embassy to certify her papers as required by her employer. However, embassy officials could not help her because she did not fulfill some requirements.
“They told me that I should have brought a photocopy of my passport. Since I wasn’t able to do this, I was told to come back another day,” she said.
The embassy has reminded applicants to check the information on its website for requirement compliance before going to the embassy. This would save them time.
A source said the embassy would not accept walk-in applicants. They should schedule appointments on the embassy's website by checking the "QUICKMENU" tab and choose the service they require.
Applicants will be given a printed form that will confirm their appointment, which has to be shown to either the embassy or the Embassy on Wheels (EOW) service in their area.
The embassy advised applicants to arrive at least 15 minutes before their appointment times.
Moreover, applicants are advised to photocopy important papers such as passports, iqamas, birth certificates, diplomas and other documents beforehand because there are no photocopying and printing facilities near the embassy.
The embassy said single applicants should not make multiple bookings because it needed to accommodate 216 appointments per day during its working hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday.
Filipino dependents rush to correct status
