Law enforcers discover irregularities in activity of Work and Travel company

The law enforcement bodies identified irregularities in the activity of STM Acord Ltd, which finds employment for students in the United States under the Work and Travel Program, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the Interior Ministry’s press service. According to the Interior Ministry, to increase the profit, the company extended its illicit activity by opening four branches in different districts of Chisinau. The police established that the branches had not been registered with the relevant authorities. Upon checks, it was ascertained that the company collected illegally by 1,200 lei from students as advance for the intermediation services, until the signing of the individual work contract or before opening an entry visa for the employing country. The Licensing Chamber decided to withdraw the license from STM Acord Ltd and suspend its activity until a definitive decision is made. Officials of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova have been informed about the illegal activity of the given company. The students will be referred to other companies. Following complaints from students, the U.S. Embassy interrupted the cooperation with nine Work and Travel companies. Based on U.S. Embassy checks, about 20% of the visa holders under this program did not return from the US in 2007, while about 425 of the students returned to Moldova after the official start of classes.