Help in this situation please?

Dear Everyone, Lawrence, Suzanne,

Hi, I would like to seek advise about a contract that my friend has entered into last 2004. She said that this 'agency' will not entertain her papers unless she sign this memorandum of agreement. Under this MOA, the agency would find her a suitable position to work as a Nurse "in the shortest possible time" Almost a year has passed and there are no updates from the agency whatsoever, not even a single phone call. Then suddenly last week, the agency has sent her a demand letter for a payment of $15000 as fee for abandoning/withdrawing her agreement with them. Not a single cent was spent for my friend. And after 3 yrs they would come after her. The bigger problem is that she is currently with a new agency she found in 2005. And an I-140 was already processed with this new agency. Is there anything that could be done? $15000 is too much and obviously it is something the she wont be able to pay because she is still working in the Phil. Does anybody here have the same experience? She is very much concerned that this would entirely affect her imigration papers. Thank you everyone and awaiting your reply.

I gave you a PM.

If everything is what you have posted, then in my opinion, that agency violated the MOA first. They said they can find her an employer in the shortest possible time and 1 year is not the shortest possible time.

Let your friend find a lawyer but just based on what you posted; it can already be argued that the agency did not do their part of the MOA. In addition, waiting for another 2 years after 1 year has lapsed since signing the MOA could further reinforce that they have not done anything to help your friend find an employer.

You can let your friend report it to POEA. If my guess is right on what agency is this, they are POEA accredited.

Find a lawyer and report them to POEA. This is only how this kind of practice stops. If no one fights back it will just go on and on.