PDOS for Australia: why Filipino workers take PEOS before the job and PDOS before the flight

Tips · 2026-10-23 · 10 min read

Filipino workers attending a pre-departure orientation seminar in a Manila training room

PDOS for Australia is the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar, a mandatory orientation for departing migrant workers listed by OWWA, and you take it near the end, once your job and papers are set. Its partner, the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS), comes at the start: a free online seminar from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) that you can finish before you even apply. Direct hires also need the PEOS certificate for their evaluation. Think of it this way: PEOS before the job, PDOS before the flight.

PEOS and PDOS side by side

The two names sound alike, so here is how they compare.

Question	PEOS	PDOS
Full name	Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar	Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar
When you take it	Before you look for work or sign a contract	After you have a job and before you leave the Philippines
Which office	DMW, on its official PEOS website	Listed in OWWA's Citizen's Charter
Format and cost	Online; the seminar and registration are free	Ask OWWA, the DMW or your licensed agency for the session and its details
What it covers	Things to know before working overseas	Work standards, your destination, health and safety, travel tips, airport procedure, government services
Paper to keep	The PEOS certificate, printed after the seminar	Proof that you attended, kept with your other departure papers

PEOS: the free online seminar to finish before you apply

You do not need a job offer to take PEOS. Open the official PEOS website of the DMW, register, and go through the seminar at your own pace. When you finish, print the certificate and keep a soft copy on your phone.

The best time is while you are still job hunting, because PEOS is about the choices you make before any money or documents change hands. Two rules from the 2023 DMW landbased rules are worth remembering at this stage:

Accredited foreign employers may advertise overseas jobs only through DMW-licensed recruitment agencies or through the DMW itself.
An agency advert for manpower pooling must say "for manpower pooling only", state that no fees in any form or purpose will be collected from applicants, and warn applicants to beware of illegal recruiters and human traffickers.

Before you send any document to an agency, look it up in the DMW directory of licensed recruitment agencies, which shows whether its licence is valid, expired, delisted or cancelled.

Use the same weeks to get your application ready. An English CV that lists your tools, machines and years in each role makes the employer's job easier, and Build AI CV can help you put one together. If you are a machinist from Laguna, for example, you can then compare your experience with a live role such as this CNC Machinist job in Sydney.

Direct hire for Australia or New Zealand: where the PEOS certificate counts

The DMW defines direct hiring as employing a worker without the help of a licensed recruitment agency. It is a narrow route. The DMW FAQ lists the employers who may hire directly: members of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, heads of state and senior government officials, and other employers allowed by the Administration.

Employers of professionals and skilled workers may also hire directly if the verified contract is above DMW standards, but the workers they hire this way for the first time may not exceed five, and later hires must go through a Philippine licensed agency. Our guide to DMW direct hire for Australia and New Zealand explains who qualifies in more detail.

Direct hires are evaluated online through the POEA Online Processing System for Direct Hires, known as POPS-Direct. The DMW FAQ says the PEOS certificate is part of the requirements for the Direct Hire Phase 2 process, so a missing certificate can hold up your evaluation. The current list of requirements is on the DMW frequently asked questions page.

Contract verification, and the extra step for New Zealand employers

Your contract also has to be verified. The DMW FAQ says this is done by the Philippine labour office covering the jobsite, or authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where no labour office covers it. For New Zealand, the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Wellington asks a direct employer for its Certificate of INZ Employer's Accreditation and a Philippine recruitment agency, and charges NZD70.00 for each verified document.

PDOS: the last seminar before your flight

OWWA describes the PDOS as a mandatory orientation for departing migrant workers. Its topics are work standards, the destination country, health and safety, travel tips, airport procedure and government services. Here is what three of them mean for Australia or New Zealand.

Work standards: your rights do not shrink with a visa

Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees, including pay, leave, protection from discrimination and final pay. Immigration New Zealand says everyone in New Zealand, migrants included, has the same minimum employment rights. Our list of who Filipino workers can call when work goes wrong turns those rights into names and numbers.

Airport procedure: the papers immigration checks

The DMW FAQ lists what the Bureau of Immigration requires from a departing OFW: a passport, a valid work visa or entry or work permit, a verified or authenticated employment contract, and a valid OEC. Under the 2023 DMW landbased rules, every departing OFW presents the OEC or OFW Clearance to the Immigration Officer.

The OEC now has a new name. DMW Department Circular No. 02, Series of 2023 renamed it the OFW Clearance, also known as the OFW Pass, and the DMW FAQ says it is valid for 60 days from the date it was issued and can be used for only one exit. Our explainer on the OFW Pass and its 60-day window covers the timing.

Government services: OWWA and the MWO

OWWA membership has a contribution of USD $25.00, and under the 2023 DMW rules the OWWA membership fee is one of the costs the employer pays on a new contract, along with the DMW processing fee, the visa and the round trip airfare. See our guide to OWWA membership in Australia and New Zealand for renewal once you are there. The DMW and OWWA both list 1348 as their hotline.

Where PEOS and PDOS fit in your steps

Most Filipino workers going to Australia or New Zealand move through the same order.

Take PEOS online, print the certificate and keep a copy on your phone.
Look for work with employers who sponsor visas, and check any agency in the DMW directory before you send documents.
Get a written offer and contract. Your employer starts its side of the visa process: in Australia with Home Affairs, in New Zealand with Immigration New Zealand.
Do the medical only once your hiring is reasonably certain. The 2023 DMW rules say it is done at a DOH-accredited clinic of your choice after there is reasonable certainty you will be hired, and only certificates from DOH-accredited clinics are accepted for the OEC.
Direct hire: submit your papers, PEOS certificate included, for evaluation through POPS-Direct. Agency hire: your licensed agency handles the processing with the DMW.
Have your contract verified or authenticated for the jobsite.
Attend your PDOS, ideally a few weeks before your planned departure.
Complete your e-Registration, the online step that gives the reference number for your OFW Pass, then get the pass itself and watch its 60-day validity.
At the airport, show your passport, visa, verified contract and OFW Pass.

Keep the Australian side in mind when you set your flight date: a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) holder who was outside Australia when the visa was granted must begin employment within 90 days of entering the country. Our Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa guide explains the rest of that visa.

Who pays for what around the seminars

PEOS costs you nothing, so there is no reason to pay anyone to "process" it. Beyond that, the 2023 DMW rules set out the money side clearly. You pay only documentation costs (passport, NBI clearance, PSA birth certificate, school records, licences and the medical), PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and SSS membership, and any placement fee the rules allow. The rules also say no other fees in any amount, form or purpose may be charged to an OFW beyond those listed.

Common mistakes Filipino workers make with PEOS and PDOS

Paying for a seminar that costs nothing. PEOS and its registration are free. DMW Advisory No. 20, Series of 2023 warned about Facebook chats and groups that give direct-hire applicants misleading advice and demand money, and said the DMW did not create or endorse them. Our guide to direct hire Facebook scams shows how they work.
Treating the PEOS certificate as the PDOS. They are separate seminars at different stages; one does not replace the other.
Leaving PDOS to the last week. If a session is full or moved, your OFW Pass and flight can end up squeezed against the pass's 60-day validity. Book the seminar early, and book the flight once your papers are in hand.
Changing jobs in New Zealand without new paperwork. MWO New Zealand requires workers who changed employers there, entered from another country, or entered on a visitor or student visa to have their contract verified before getting an OEC.
Believing a job offer that skips the steps. Australia's Scamwatch lists unexpected contact on WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, a quick hiring process with no interview, and requests to pay a "recruitment fee" among the warning signs of a job scam.

If you meet an illegal recruiter, report it to the DMW's Migrant Workers Protection Bureau on 87221192 or mwpb@dmw.gov.ph.

Frequently asked questions

Is PEOS free, and can I take it online?

Yes. The DMW describes the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar as a free online seminar on things to know before working overseas, and registration is free too. You take it on the official PEOS website and print the certificate after you finish.

Do I need a PEOS certificate if I am a direct hire for Australia or New Zealand?

The DMW FAQ lists the PEOS certificate as part of the requirements for the Direct Hire Phase 2 process. Direct hires are evaluated online through POPS-Direct, so have the printed certificate ready before your papers are evaluated.

Is PDOS required before I fly to Australia?

OWWA describes the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar as a mandatory orientation for departing migrant workers. Ask the DMW, OWWA or your licensed agency which session you should attend, and do it before your departure date rather than in the last few days.

What does the PDOS cover?

OWWA lists work standards, the destination country, health and safety, travel tips, airport procedure and government services. For Australia or New Zealand, that means your rights at work, what immigration checks at the airport, and which Philippine offices can help you abroad.

Someone offered to arrange my PEOS certificate for a fee. Is that allowed?

PEOS registration is free and the seminar itself is free, so there is nothing to pay anyone for. DMW Advisory No. 20, Series of 2023 warned about groups demanding money from direct-hire applicants; report them to the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau on 87221192 or mwpb@dmw.gov.ph.

Key takeaways

PEOS comes first: a free online DMW seminar you can take before you apply for any job.
Direct hires need the PEOS certificate for the Direct Hire Phase 2 process through POPS-Direct.
PDOS comes last: a mandatory orientation for departing workers, listed by OWWA.
At the airport you need your passport, visa, verified contract and an OFW Pass that is still within its 60 days.
Never pay anyone to arrange PEOS, and report groups asking for money to the MWPB.

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