Philippines MWO London Direct Hire Skilled / Professional: UK Private Employer Contract Verification, Solicitor Certification, Annex D and Annex A Explained

If you are handling a Direct Hire Skilled / Professional case under the EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Migrant Workers Office London, United Kingdom, one of the most important documents to understand is the Checklist of Requirements for Verification – Landbased Private Employer. That checklist is the starting point for UK employers who are not yet accredited and need their employment documents verified before the Filipino worker can move on to the next stage with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

For most UK employers, the main confusion is not the existence of the checklist. It is the meaning of the words used in it, especially:

• Notarized copy
• Notarized Employment Contract
• signed on all pages by the employer
• Items with * must be certified/notarized by a Solicitor/Notary Public
• REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE BAN ON DIRECT HIRING POLICY
• ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT

This guide explains what those phrases usually mean in practice for a UK private employer submission to MWO London.

What the MWO London private employer checklist is for

The Checklist of Requirements for Verification – Landbased Private Employer is the working checklist used by MWO London for a private Filipino employer direct hire file. It states that the employer must submit the required documents to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO)-London via post/courier only for verification, and that once verified, the documents should be sent to the Filipino worker for later submission to the DMW. It also states that processing of complete and compliant documents can take up to ten working days, while incomplete or unclear cases may take longer.

That means this is not just an HR paperwork exercise. It is a formal pre-submission document process, and the contract pack should be prepared carefully.

Core documents usually required for MWO London direct hire verification

For a typical Landbased Private Employer case, the checklist includes:

• notarized copy of the employer’s business registration or incorporation document
• notarized employment contract
• copy of the employer signatory’s passport or government-issued ID
• copy of the worker’s passport and visa or permit
• Request for Exemption from Direct-Hire Ban signed by the Employer (Annex D)
• Certificate of Sponsorship, if applicable.

The two most important documents from a solicitor-certification perspective are usually the starred items:

1. the employer’s business registration / incorporation document
2. the employment contract.

What “Items with * must be certified/notarized by a Solicitor/Notary Public” usually means

The checklist says that the starred items must be certified/notarized by a Solicitor/Notary Public (in UK/Ireland/worksite). In practice, for a UK submission, this usually means that a UK practising solicitor can handle the certification.

For many UK employers, this is important because the word notarized can sound as if only a notary public is acceptable. But the checklist itself expressly allows Solicitor/Notary Public, so a properly handled solicitor certification route is commonly used in the UK context.

What “Notarized copy of Employer’s Certificate of Business Registration/Incorporation” usually means

For the employer’s company document, this usually means:

• prepare the business registration or incorporation document
• ensure the copy is clear and consistent
• present it to a practising UK solicitor
• have the document certified/notarized in a formal way suitable for the submission pack

In UK practice, this is often handled as a solicitor-certified copy of the employer’s incorporation or registration document.

What “Notarized Employment Contract” usually means

The employment contract is more sensitive than the company document because it is not just a static company record. It is the operative agreement between employer and worker.

The checklist requires a Notarized Employment Contract and also says it must be signed on all pages by the employer.

The practical reading is usually:

• finalise the contract wording first
• check whether any mandatory terms are missing
• add Annex A if needed
• have the employer sign the contract on all pages before the solicitor
• then the solicitor certifies the completed signed contract pack

That is a much cleaner approach than trying to certify an unfinished or unsigned draft.

What “signed on all pages by the employer” means

This wording is usually read literally. The employer should sign every page of the employment contract, not just the last page. The goal is to show that the employer adopts the entire contract, page by page, not only the signature block at the end.

As a matter of best practice, the strongest approach is to have the employer sign in wet ink before the solicitor or notary, especially where the solicitor is being asked to certify the signed contract pack in a way that strengthens authenticity.

That approach is often preferred because:

• the document is complete when presented
• the signatures are original wet-ink signatures
• the risk of later questions about substituted pages is reduced
• the overall contract pack looks cleaner and more defensible

What is the “ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT” or Annex A

The checklist refers to the Addendum or Annex A to the Employment Contract if certain employment standards are missing from the main contract.

The ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT is the standard Annex A template. It adds terms on matters such as:

• contract duration
• access to health and emergency services
• overtime and hours worked
• termination rules
• dispute settlement
• applicable law
• transportation and repatriation
• death during employment
• force majeure.

So if the employer’s usual UK contract does not already cover all required standards in an acceptable way, Annex A should be added to strengthen the file.

In practice, this is very common. A normal UK employment contract may be perfectly fine for domestic HR use but still not be sufficient, on its own, for an MWO London direct hire verification file.

What is the “REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE BAN ON DIRECT HIRING POLICY” or Annex D

The REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE BAN ON DIRECT HIRING POLICY is the employer’s formal request for exemption. The template includes several possible grounds, including the statement that the employer is hiring a professional/skilled worker under an employment contract with terms above DMW standards.

That means Annex D is not a side document. It is a core supporting document in the direct hire file and should be completed carefully, signed properly, and aligned with the rest of the contract pack.

Submission route: VIA POST / COURIER ONLY

The checklist states that the submission to MWO London is VIA POST/COURIER ONLY. It also notes that, after verification, the documents should be returned and then sent to the Filipino worker for later submission to the DMW.

The same checklist also includes routing notes for employers or cases connected to other countries in the region, including:

• Norway and Iceland through the Philippine Embassy in Oslo or MWO London
• Sweden and Finland through the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm or MWO London
• Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland through the Philippine Embassy in Copenhagen or MWO London
• Finland through the Philippine Embassy in Helsinki or MWO London.

Processing time and MWO London contact point

The checklist states that processing of complete and compliant documents takes up to ten (10) working days upon receipt by the MWO, although clarification requests or correction of lacking requirements may extend the timeline. It also gives the MWO-London contact email as mwo_london@dmw.gov.ph.

This is why employers should avoid sending a half-prepared pack. Small inconsistencies can slow the process.

Practical step-by-step approach for UK employers

A sensible approach for a UK private employer is usually:

1. Gather the company and worker documents

Collect the business registration or incorporation document, employment contract, employer signatory ID, worker passport and visa/permit copy, Annex D, and Certificate of Sponsorship if applicable.

2. Review the contract properly

Check whether the contract already contains the necessary employment standards. If not, attach the ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.

3. Finalise the contract pack before certification

Do not send an unfinished draft to the solicitor. The better practice is to complete the contract wording first.

4. Have the employer sign all pages

Make sure the employer signs every page of the contract, and ideally the related addendum pages as well.

5. Arrange solicitor certification

Present the starred items to a practising solicitor for certification/notarization in a form appropriate for the MWO London file.

6. Send the pack to MWO London

Follow the post/courier only submission route and ensure the pack is internally consistent before dispatch.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common problems in a Direct Hire Skilled / Professional file are:

• unsigned contract
• signing only the final page
• failing to add Annex A where needed
• mismatch between the signatory name and the ID copy
• unclear or incomplete Annex D

How Ginkgo Advisory can help

Ginkgo Advisory helps UK employers prepare formal cross-border document packs with a focus on readability, consistency, and proper solicitor-led handling.

For MWO London direct hire matters, Ginkgo Advisory can assist with arranging solicitor certification for the copy of the employer’s business registration or incorporation document and the employment contracts.

Where possible, the cleanest route is to have the employer sign the contract in wet ink before the solicitor, especially where the goal is to strengthen the authenticity of the signed contract pack.

Final takeaway

For a UK private employer submission to MWO London, the safest practical route is usually this:

• start with the Checklist of Requirements for Verification – Landbased Private Employer
• finalise the contract first
• add the ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT if needed
• complete the REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE BAN ON DIRECT HIRING POLICY
• have the employer sign all pages
• then arrange proper solicitor certification of the starred items
• submit the pack to MWO London by post/courier only

Done properly, this creates a cleaner verification file and reduces the risk of avoidable delays in the direct hire process.