I'm preparing my documents for DMW OEC processing before my contract deployment and I'm getting conflicting information about how long it actually takes right now. My agency said 3-5 days but a coworker who went through it 2 months ago said it took her almost 2 weeks because of a backlog at the verification step.
I have all my documents ready: PDOS certificate, valid passport, employment contract, and agency certification. What I'm not sure about is whether I need the original contract or if a certified copy is acceptable. The DMW website says authenticated copy which I'm reading as notarized, but I've heard processing officers sometimes ask for the original anyway.
Also wondering if the pre-departure orientation seminar certificate needs to be from a DMW-accredited provider specifically, or if employer-provided PDOS is accepted. My employer did the orientation in-house and I have a certificate but I'm not 100% sure it will pass the verification step.
Bring 4 copies of everything. They don't tell you this anywhere but the processing counter keeps 2 copies for their files and you'll want extras in case there's a correction needed. Saved me a lot of time on my second visit.
I went through this in January and the online appointment system was backed up almost 2 weeks just for a slot. Walk-in processing exists but the queues start at 5 AM. Book online as soon as possible if you haven't already.
For PDOS, it needs to be from a DMW-accredited provider or a POLO-recognized employer for overseas hires. In-house certificates from non-accredited employers usually don't pass. Double-check your employer's accreditation status on the DMW portal before you go.
Processing took me exactly 8 days in March. The bottleneck was contract verification, not the document review itself. Bring originals of everything even if they say copies are fine — officers at the window will sometimes ask on the spot and you don't want to make a second trip.