We see more and more Filipinos pursuing lucrative careers and better life opportunities abroad. Our doctors, nurses, engineers, and other skilled professionals have long been in an exodus to the more promising lands of Canada, United States, Australia and the Middle East. We simply shrug our shoulders when we get into serious discussions on the effects of brain drain. Our profound perception of the job market and employment conditions in the Philippines, however, provides us with justifications.
Pursuing careers abroad, however, requires serious planning and preparation. Understanding visa regulations, work permits, and other legal requirements may be the first on the checklist. Financial planning, which involves considering the cost of living, taxes, and potential currency exchange fluctuations, may come second. Additionally, acquiring relevant certifications and qualifications recognized internationally, or even just in the destination country, is also important for one’s job market competitiveness.
Even after landing a job, there are still many important things to process. For instance, companies and institutions abroad normally require stateboard verifications or validations of licenses issued by authorities in the origin countries. This is to ensure that the documentary requirements provided are authentic, and that one’s professional skills and competencies are duly certified.
In this comprehensive guide for licensed professionals pursuing careers abroad, we’ll dig deep into the PRC Stateboard Verification, identify the requirements, and understand the process. Read on and find out also how FILEDOCSPHIL, a leading and trusted document service provider, can help you with your documentation needs.
Stateboard
A stateboard, also spelled state board, typically refers to a government regulatory body or authority established by law to oversee and regulate specific industries or professions within a country.
Generally, stateboards are primarily responsible for setting standards, issuing licenses, and enforcing regulations to ensure that professionals within various fields, such as medicine, education, and engineering, adhere to ethical and professional standards and provide safe and high-quality services to the public.
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is the primary stateboard of the Philippines or the licensing and regulatory agency of the national government for the practice of regulated professions. It was created by virtue of Presidential Decree (P.D.) 223.
In fulfillment of its legal mandate, the stateboard performs two important functions: (1) conduct and administer licensure examinations to aspiring professionals; and (2) regulate and supervise the practice of the professions exercised in partnership with the forty-six (46) Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) across the fields of health, business, education, social sciences, engineering, and technology. These PRBs govern their respective professions’ practice and ethical standards and accredit the professional organization representing the professionals.
The Philippine Board of Nursing, for example, provides regulatory standards in the practice of nursing by implementing the Nurse Practice Act, ensures public safety by administering the Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam (PNLE), and maintains high standards of nursing education by auditing the performance of nursing schools.
Interestingly, the PRC serves more than 4.9 million professionals (as of October 2022) from 46 various regulated professions and the hundreds of thousands of aspiring professionals who take the licensure examinations every year. Thus, PRC stakeholders include the professionals, would-be professionals, accredited professional organizations, foreign professionals seeking temporary permits to practice their professions in the country, academic institutions, and other government agencies.
PRC Stateboard Verification
It is the process required by companies and institutions, usually in other countries, to confirm and validate the credentials and licenses of Filipino professionals across various fields for employment and other purposes. It can only be carried out by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) who checks the licenses, ratings, and other pertinent details in its database.
By verifying licenses, the commission helps prevent fraudulent professional practices by unqualified and unregistered individuals posing as legitimate ones, thus promoting consumer trust and confidence and upholding high ethical standards across all professional sectors. Furthermore, this supports legal compliance, aids in professional mobility, and enhances transparency in professional engagements.
In order to request for a stateboard verification from the PRC, a request form or letter (i.e., also known as the Request for Validation of Licensure (VOL) must first be secured. Equally important, the turnover of the verification document is normally an office-to-office transaction, where the PRC sends it directly to the requesting company or institution.
Who Needs PRC Stateboard Verification
Any licensed Filipino professionals, especially those practicing their professions and securing an eligibility abroad, may need a PRC Stateboard Verification upon request by their respective companies or institutions. For instance, registered nurses working in the United States are required to process the stateboard verification for the CGFNS International, Inc. (formerly known as the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools), one of the world’s largest credential evaluation organizations for the nursing and allied health professions. This verifies the nursing license and other credentials acquired in the Philippines.
PRC Stateboard Verification Requirements and Process
The PRC Stateboard Verification may be processed personally by the licensed professionals themselves or through their authorized representatives. If through a reliable third-party document filing service provider, such as FileDocsPhil, the following are the documentary requirements and process:
- Documentary Requirements. Most of the documentary requirements must be readily available, as applicants should have them in their personal files. While abroad, the applicants may send these documents to the service provider through the most convenient channels (e.g., via email):
- PRC Licensure Examination and Registration Information System (LERIS) Account Credentials (i.e., email and password)
- Request for Validation of Licensure (VOL)/verification form/s from the requesting institution/agency
- Photocopy of official Transcript of Records (TOR)
- Photocopy of valid Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID card (must be renewed first, if expired)
- Photocopy of any valid ID
- Special Power of Attorney (SPA) (i.e., apostilled if from abroad)
- Application Process.Once the complete documentary requirements are received, the service provider will take charge of all the necessary steps immediately. These include, but are not limited to, the initial application via the LERIS account, submission of physical copies of documents to the PRC Office in Manila, payment of fees, and arrangement for the courier service.
- Document Tracking and Delivery. Normally, the stateboard verification is an office-to-office transaction, hence the mailing or delivery of the document will be addressed to the requesting institution/agency abroad. The filing service provider will be the one to make follow-ups with the PRC and/or the courier service provider, as may be necessary. This means a total convenience on the part of the applicants. There is also a guarantee that the document will be processed and delivered within the expected timeline.
Final Thoughts
In a globalized job market where many Filipino professionals seek better opportunities abroad, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Stateboard Verification holds immense significance as it serves as a validation of the professional skills, expertise, and qualifications for practice beyond the national borders.
Like most transactions with the commission, onsite submission of documentary requirements and payment of fees are necessary, and these are nearly impossible for licensed professionals who are already working abroad. Instead of going back to the country just for this purpose and spending a lot on flight tickets, hiring a reliable document filing service provider, who has broad knowledge about the requirements and experience in navigating the intricate transactions with the commission, can always solve the problem.
… and you might just need our assistance.
Need further information and assistance in processing your PRC Stateboard Verification? Talk to our team at FILEDOCSPHIL to know more about the requirements and process. Call us today at (+63) 917 149 2337 or send an email to info@filedocsphil.com for more information.
