Ofw

OFW may stand for:

Overseas Filipinos

An Overseas Filipino (Filipino: Mga Pilipino sa ibang bansa) is a person of Filipino origin who lives outside of the Philippines. This term applies to Filipinos who are abroad indefinitely as citizens or as permanent residents of a different country and to those Filipino citizens abroad for a limited, definite period, such as on a work contract or as students. It can also include seamen and others who work outside the Philippines but are neither permanent nor temporary residents of another country. As a result of this migration, many countries have substantial Filipino communities.

Overseas Filipinos are known by a variety of terms with slightly different and sometimes overlapping meanings. Overseas Contract Workers, also known as OCWs, are Filipinos working abroad that are expected to return permanently either upon the expiration of a work contract or upon retirement. Balikbayans are Filipinos who have become citizens of another country and have returned to the Philippines for temporary visits. Global Filipino is a term of more recent vintage that is less widely used. Overseas Filipino Investor or OFIs are those Filipino expatriates who contribute to the economy through remittances, buying properties and creating businesses. This was coined by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the 14th President of the Philippines.