Passport renewal involving agency?

[batgirl_cdn]

Is it true that some maid agencies provide passport renewal services for helpers with expiring passports? Why would anyone use that service when the helper can just go to the embassy and renew their own passport just like the rest of do for our own passports, and it would cost at fraction of the price that the agencies charge for the service?

Are embassies not concerned about other people managing their citizens' passport renewals, so that it is quite possible that their citizen doesn't even have their own hands on the passport at all during the process and the passport remains with the employer/agency after?

[x9200]

I do not see it that different from countless cases where some parts of consular activities are handled by external agencies. Most commonly I guess for visa applications but not limited to. Even travel agencies do it so not necessarily there has to be something evil behind such things.

[MaidInSing]

most employers hold their maids passport and work permit for "safe keeping" even though this is not legal.

it is simple to renew passport at embassy in person for Philippines its around $80. i know at least one agency charges $300 for this and have heard of others charging more.

maybe many that would use an agency are those that don't let their maids have day off or let them out of the house alone. maybe they are afraid maid will run away if she has passport.

I'm sure some use agencies for convenience but some employers just don't want to let maids out of house on their own with their passports.

[batgirl_cdn]

I think the new passport fee at the Philippine embassy is $102. Significant price increase!

The agencies have quite the racket going with their inflated fee for processing passports. But they know there is a market for it, because some employers don't want their helpers to have any contact with their passports in case they flee.

I cannot understand why embassies are allowing others to manage passports besides their own citizen. Essentially they are complicit in the passport holding, which is supposedly illegal.

[ex-pat]

Is it true that some maid agencies provide passport renewal services for helpers with expiring passports? Why would anyone use that service when the helper can just go to the embassy and renew their own passport just like the rest of do

Renewal fee is 80 dollars if the maid herself do the renewal of her passport. Agencies charge more.

I heard an employer used an agency to get her helper a OEC ( Home leave permit)
OEC cost 6 dollar
Agency charged: 250

Employers sometimes are dumb.

[batgirl_cdn]

My helper was charged $102 by the Philippine embassy for her passport last week.

ex-pat, there are more documents involved with the home leave. The contract has to be validated by the embassy and there are some other documents given by the embassy too, so it works out to just under $70 for all of that. It is valid for 2 years.