LA-based employment agency to put up branch in PH

LOS ANGELES/MANILA  -CSI Professionals Inc. – a California-based, Filipino-run employment agency- is strengthening  its presence in the Philippine market by opening a branch in the country before the end of 2023.

CSI founder and president Marge Ordiales-Martinez said this as the company celebrated its 30 years of existence last month, its goal is to focus more on reaching out and trying to help more Filipinos realize their dreams of working and living in the United States come true.

During the recent 30th year Anniversary celebration of CSI, Martinez said the company’s expansion program in the Philippines was in line with their aim to continue to giving back to the community.

Having been an immigrant herself, Martinez knew how hard the process is and could relate to Filipinos who wanted to seek greener pasture in the United States but could not find a way to do so.

“We want to let our fellow Filipinos know that CSI is here to offer a more personalized employment and immigration services,” she said.

As part of its expansion and diversification efforts, Martinez said CSI would reinforce its multi-cultural approach to providing employment to different nationalities, across the globe under the stewardship of CSI director for strategic partnerships Rene Martinez.

In July this year, CSI’s training team, headed by CSI International business specialist Anamika Sangwan, stepped up their collaboration and information drive in the Philippines.

During the month-long collaboration meetings, the team had visited at least 21 educational institutions in Manila and nearby provinces including the Asian Institute of Management, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College, and the University of Batangas.

Martinez, who is married to Los Angeles County Filipino American Employees’ Association (LACFAEA) president Edwin Martinez, believes that what set the CSI apart from other employment agencies is its utmost commitment to its clients.

“A regular employment agency will just take your application, and never call you back,” Martinez said, adding that they’ve accumulated a full timeline of success in placing candidates in jobs, assessing resumés, and in coaching and mentoring.

For the past three decades, CSI has been posting a steady growth of about 15 percent to 20 percent in terms of permanent job placement for specialized occupations or those with specialized knowledge or bachelor’s degrees.

With its expansion plan, CSI targets this success rate to increase to 30 percent in the near-term.

In the next coming years, Martinez said CSI would also be putting more emphasis on handling the demands of the workforce of the new century.

This includes mentoring and coaching about work and personal life balancing—building contractual relationships with life coaches to speak to or mentor new comers or even local and international job seekers.

Another unique CSI trait, Martinez said, is “consistency”  in finding effective ways to bring families together, through employment petition..

At present, CSI specializes in employment-based visa petitions: J-1, F-1 (CPT & OPT), H-3, H-1B  and Labor Certifications involving EB-3 & EB-2. With these employment-based petitions, international applicants with advance degrees are able to pursue with employment-based change of status and proceed to permanent resident ( or Green Card) later on.

CSI initially started its operation in Chicago, Illinois in 1993, providing legal counseling in the field of immigration and employment.

In September 1995, the company put up the Los Angeles branch in Glendale, its headquarter, which serves as its corporate office and training facility.