Jamaica’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is again warning citizens seeking employment overseas to use only official channels to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes and exploitation.
“It is very important, as we have a lot of scamming. You have many individuals that try to mimic the Ministry, and some of them even [post] my image and give persons the impression that we are recruiting through TikTok [and] Instagram,” Mr. Charles told JIS News.
He reaffirmed that there are no registration or placement fees associated with the Ministry’s Overseas Employment Programme. “We [continue to remind] persons [that] there is no fee involved at any stage of the recruitment process,” the Minister stressed.
Mr. Charles explained that while there are licensed private entities authorized by the Ministry to facilitate overseas employment, the government-run agricultural programme is managed exclusively by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The Overseas Work Programme provides temporary, skilled employment opportunities for Jamaicans under Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) and the United States’ H-2A and H-2B visa schemes, which support the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, respectively.
“Once you have someone asking you to make a payment other than the visa fee, which would mean you have gone through all of the process and just have to pay for your visa, then you know you are dealing with someone who is not authorised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security,” Mr. Charles said.
He noted that several Jamaicans have avoided scams by reaching out to the Ministry for verification. “Thankfully, many Jamaicans have reached out to me on social media, some get my number… and they call and we talk to them. Some of them reach out to the Ministry, show us the images before they get involved, and we have been able to really divert them from those potential issues,” he said.
Despite these efforts, the Minister said too many individuals still fall victim to exploitation. “Because they want to access the programme so badly, they are easy to be manipulated by persons who can create perceptions that look very close to what the Ministry would be doing,” he explained.
He reiterated his warning: “Do not fall prey to these scammers. If you ever have any issue, reach out to us. But be advised, we don’t ask you to make any payment when it comes on to recruitment or placement. That’s not the Ministry’s process… it will never be.”
For more information on the Overseas Work Programme, persons may visit the Ministry’s website at https://www.mlss.gov.jm/.
