Check recruiters and exit documents
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) publishes lists of licensed Philippine recruitment agencies. One DMW list, headed as agencies approved and certified as sending organizations, is dated 21 March 2025. It is attached to a DMW advisory about deployment under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker and Technical Intern Training programmes, so it is not a list for other destinations, and it may be out of date. Japan’s Immigration Services Agency also notes that Filipino Specified Skilled Workers must obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the DMW and present it when leaving the Philippines. Confirm the agency and job directly with the DMW before paying any fee.
DMW: list of licensed recruitment agencies approved as sending organisations Department of Migrant Workers: Advisory on the automated system for approval and certification of sending organizations (Japan SSW and Technical Intern Training) Immigration Services Agency of Japan: SSW bilateral memoranda of cooperation
United Kingdom: Health and Care Worker visa
The Health and Care Worker visa is for qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care professionals working in an eligible job for a UK employer approved by the Home Office, with a certificate of sponsorship. GOV.UK lists care workers and home carers (code 6135) and senior care workers (code 6136) only among the codes open to people who are extending, updating or switching to this visa. They are not in the main list of codes for a new application. Do not assume that a care-worker job offer made to you abroad can be sponsored under this visa. Check the GOV.UK 'Your job' page and ask the employer for the exact occupation code. Applicants on this route and their partner or children do not pay the immigration healthcare surcharge.
GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, Your job
Japan: Specified Skilled Worker cooperation
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency lists a bilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skilled Workers with the Philippines and describes the sending procedure. Eligible fields, tests and language requirements change, so check the agency’s current pages for your field instead of relying on a summary.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: SSW bilateral memoranda of cooperation
Canada and the United States
A Canadian Federal Skilled Worker needs at least 67 points on the IRCC eligibility grid; a valid job offer can add selection points, and IRCC invites candidates from the Express Entry pool by Comprehensive Ranking System points. For the US Diversity Visa programme, natives of the Philippines were not eligible for DV-2026. That list applied to that programme year only, so check the State Department's current instructions for the year you intend to enter.
IRCC: Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility IRCC: Express Entry rounds of invitations U.S. Embassy: DV-2026 instructions
Working abroad as an OFW or migrating: the difference
UK Health and Care Worker visa is a work visa. It allows medical professionals to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK, also known as indefinite leave to remain.
Japan Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) is a work status. It covers work under an employment contract with an organisation in Japan that the Minister of Justice designates, in a designated industrial field. For SSW No. 1, the total stay is, in principle, limited to 5 years. SSW No. 2 has no upper limit on total stay. This page does not treat SSW as a route to permanent residence.
Canada Federal Skilled Worker is a permanent residence programme. The Federal Skilled Worker Program is for skilled workers who have foreign work experience and want to become permanent residents.
GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa Immigration Services Agency of Japan: residence status 'Specified Skilled Worker' (page in Japanese) Immigration Services Agency of Japan: 通算在留期間 (total period of stay), Specified Skilled Worker (page in Japanese) IRCC (Canada): Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker Program, who can apply
There is no single easiest route
The official requirements differ by route.
UK Health and Care Worker visa: a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional; an eligible job with an employer approved by the Home Office, and a certificate of sponsorship; English, usually proved when you apply; pay at least the minimum salary or the going rate, whichever is higher. Care worker codes (6135, 6136) are listed only for people extending, updating or switching. Care workers in England need an employer registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Japan Specified Skilled Worker: an employment contract with an organisation in Japan designated by the Minister of Justice. For manufacturing, a listed skill test and JFT-Basic at A2.2 or JLPT N4, unless exempt. For Filipino workers, the receiving organisation must be registered with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and the worker needs an Overseas Employment Certificate from the DMW to leave the Philippines.
Canada Federal Skilled Worker: 1 year of continuous skilled work, or 1,560 hours, within the last 10 years; an approved English or French language test with the minimum score in all four abilities; for foreign education, a completed credential with an Educational Credential Assessment; and at least 67 points out of 100. A job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer can earn selection points; to count, it must be obtained before you apply. If the occupation is regulated in Canada, you must be able to become licensed or certified there.
GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, Your job Immigration Services Agency of Japan: residence status 'Specified Skilled Worker' (page in Japanese) Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Industrial Products Manufacturing Sector (Specified Skilled Worker, page in Japanese) Immigration Services Agency of Japan: bilateral memoranda of cooperation on Specified Skilled Workers (page in Japanese, Philippines section) IRCC (Canada): Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker Program, who can apply
Questions before acting
Which country is best for Filipinos?
This review does not rank destinations. Choose by the route that fits your situation, and verify the recruiter and employer.
Can Filipinos enter the US Diversity Visa lottery?
The Philippines was on the list of countries whose natives were not eligible for DV-2026. Each programme year has its own list, so check the State Department's current instructions before relying on this.
Corrections in this revision
The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes or corrects:
- Statements without direct official support: removed, or replaced with the official rule. Removed figures are not repeated on this page.
Review scope: legal and financial statements in this revised article. Recheck on a provider, professional, immigration or tax-rule change; reuse of dated figures requires a new check.
See recorded sources
- IRCC: Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility — Canada — federal. Date modified 2026-09-24; read 28 September 2026 via rendered-page readback (the former /eligibility/ URL redirects here)
- IRCC: Express Entry rounds of invitations — Canada — federal. Date modified 2026-07-10; read 28 September 2026 via rendered-page readback
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: SSW bilateral memoranda of cooperation — Japan. Published page read 28 September 2026; Japanese-language procedures
- DMW: list of licensed recruitment agencies approved as sending organisations — Philippines. Annex list dated 21 March 2025 (DMW Advisory No. 7, 2025); the live DMW list page did not load on 28 September 2026; PDF re-read 7 October 2026
- Department of Migrant Workers: Advisory on the automated system for approval and certification of sending organizations (Japan SSW and Technical Intern Training) — Philippines — Department of Migrant Workers. DMW Advisory No. 7, series of 2025, list as of 21 March 2025; page read 7 October 2026 with a rendered-page fetch (the page is JavaScript-rendered)
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa — United Kingdom. Current guidance read 28 September 2026
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, Your job — United Kingdom — Home Office. Current GOV.UK guidance read 7 October 2026; the page prints no date; care worker codes are tied to extend, update or switch
- U.S. Embassy: DV-2026 instructions — United States — federal. DV-2026 program year; later program years must be checked separately
These primary references have the jurisdiction, product and scope stated above. A source link is not proof of personalised eligibility.
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About the author
António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.
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