Four Chinese nationals were apprehended on Friday by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Intelligence Division for violations of Philippine immigration laws.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified one of the arrested individuals as Ke Jianye, 39, who was caught working for a construction firm in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Minalin, Pampanga, despite holding a working visa petitioned by a Manila-based company.

Three others — Guo Yilan, 35; Chen Ligan, 47; and Huang Shuirong, 38 — were also found working at the same site for an unauthorized employer, in violation of their visa conditions.

Commissioner Viado stressed that working visas issued by the Bureau are employer-specific, and any deviation is a serious offense.

“Foreign nationals are welcome to work in the Philippines, but they must strictly adhere to the conditions of their visa,” Viado said. “Working for a company other than the one that petitioned them is a clear breach of our laws and is grounds for deportation.”

He also warned employers who engage in misrepresentation or reassign foreign workers without proper clearance, saying they will be held accountable.

The four individuals are now undergoing deportation proceedings for violating the Philippine Immigration Act and may be blacklisted, preventing future entry into the country.