Updated · NextMigrate Team
How to Verify an Overseas Job Offer Is Real (2026 Checklist)
The WhatsApp message says you got the job in Dubai, Toronto or London. The salary is three times what you earn now. There is just one thing: a "visa fee", due by Friday. Your family is excited. But a small voice asks if any of this is real.
Short answer: a real overseas job offer can be checked on a government system, and you never pay to get it. First, find the company on the official register of the country where the job is. Second, check that the agency is licensed by your own government (for example eMigrate in India, BE&OE in Pakistan, NELEX in Nigeria or DMW in the Philippines). Third, check the offer itself on the destination's official system, such as the barcoded MOHRE offer in the UAE or the sponsor register in the UK. If the company, the licence or the offer cannot be checked, or if anyone asks you for money for the job or the visa, treat it as a scam.
The 7-step checklist: is this overseas job offer real?
Do these steps in order. Stop at the first step that fails.
- Find the company on the government company register of the country where the job is.
- Phone the company yourself. Use the number on its official website, not the number the recruiter gave you. Ask if the job and the recruiter are real.
- Check the agent's licence with your own government. Then check that the name, address and phone number on the licence match the person you are dealing with.
- Check the offer on the destination's official system. In the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Canada and the USA, there is a government check (see the table below).
- Refuse to pay for the job, the visa or the "sponsorship". In most destinations the employer pays these costs. Some home countries allow a small, capped agency fee. Know your cap.
- Get a written contract before you travel. It must show the job, salary, hours, housing and who pays for flights. It must match the contract you sign on arrival.
- Never travel on a tourist or visit visa for a job. Real jobs abroad use a work visa or work permit.
A good way to think about it: a real job offer is like a banknote. It has security marks you can check yourself. A fake one only looks real until you hold it up to the light.
How to verify a foreign company is legitimate before you accept
Check two things: the company exists, and it is allowed to hire foreign workers.
| Job country | Check the company exists | Check the job or sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | Emirate business licence portal (for example Dubai Economy and Tourism) | MOHRE offer barcode, on mohre.gov.ae, the MOHRE app or call 600590000 |
| Saudi Arabia | Ministry of Commerce (mc.gov.sa) | Contract documented on Qiwa (most private jobs) or Musaned (domestic workers) |
| Oman | Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion | Ministry of Labour work permit (labour clearance) record |
| Qatar | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Ministry of Labour work permit and contract records |
| UK | Companies House | Register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk |
| Canada | Federal or provincial corporate registry | Job Bank posting marked as open to candidates from outside Canada; LMIA for most foreign worker jobs |
| USA | State business registry | seasonaljobs.dol.gov for H-2A and H-2B jobs |
| Australia | ABN Lookup (abr.business.gov.au) or ASIC | Home Affairs sponsor rules; Fair Work for pay and conditions |
If the company is not on the register, stop. If it is, scammers may still be borrowing its name. Check that the person writing to you really works there. A real company uses its own email domain (jobs@company.com), not Gmail, and not a look-alike such as company-careers.com.
For a deeper method, read our guide on how to check an overseas employer actually exists.
How to verify an overseas job agency before paying
Every main sending country has a public list of licensed agents. Check it yourself. Do not trust a certificate on the office wall.
| Your country | Where to check the agent | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| India | eMigrate (emigrate.gov.in), "List of active RA" | Agent may charge at most Rs 30,000 + 18% GST, with a receipt (MEA advisory, 2026) |
| Pakistan | BE&OE list of Overseas Employment Promoters (beoe.gov.pk/list-of-oeps) | Check that the licence (OEPL) number is on the active list (BE&OE, 2026) |
| Nigeria | NELEX (nelex.gov.ng), Recruiter's Licence for international placement | Agents placing workers abroad need this Federal Ministry of Labour licence (NELEX, 2026) |
| Uganda | Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, External Employment Unit (mglsd.go.ug) | Only licensed labour export companies may recruit (MGLSD, 2026) |
| Philippines | DMW (dmw.gov.ph), "Licensed Recruitment Agencies" | Also check the approved job order; OWWA hotline 1348 (DMW, OWWA, 2026) |
| Kenya | NEA register via neaims.go.ke or diaspora.go.ke/verify | Shows if a licence is valid or expired (State Department for Diaspora Affairs, 2026) |
| Bangladesh | BMET (bmet.gov.bd) | Use only licensed agencies |
| Sri Lanka | SLBFE (slbfe.lk) | Use only licensed agencies |
| Nepal | Department of Foreign Employment (dofe.gov.np) | Use only licensed agencies |
A real licence number does not make the agent real. A licence number is like a car number plate. Anyone can copy it onto another car. Check that the name, office address and phone number on the official record match the person you met. If they do not match, it is a scam, even if the licence itself is genuine.
Read more in our guide on how to check a migration agent is licensed.
Fake overseas job recruitment: the warning signs
If you see even one of these, stop.
| Warning sign | What a real employer does |
|---|---|
| Asks you to pay for the job, visa, "sponsorship", training or a "security deposit" | Pays recruitment and visa costs |
| Contacted you first on WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook | You applied through a job portal, a careers page or a licensed agency |
| Uses Gmail, Yahoo or a look-alike domain | Uses the company's own domain |
| One short call, then an offer | Several interviews and skills checks |
| "Pay in 24 hours or lose the job" | Gives you time to read the contract |
| Salary far above the market | Salary that fits the job and country |
| Asks for crypto, gift cards or a transfer to a personal account | Government fees go to government portals only |
| Wants you to travel on a tourist or visit visa | Arranges a work visa or work permit |
| Promises a refund "when you arrive" | Never asks you to pay in the first place |
Clean grammar proves nothing. Many fake offer letters are now written with AI.
Paying a stranger for a job offer is like paying for a seat on a bus that does not exist. The money leaves today. The bus never comes. Our guide on why paying for a job offer or LMIA is a crime explains the legal side.
How to check a job offer by country
How to check if a job offer in the UAE or Dubai is real
In August and October 2026, MOHRE repeated a clear rule. Employers must use the official MOHRE job offer form. It carries a serial number and barcode. You can check it on the MOHRE website, the MOHRE app or the call centre on 600590000 (Gulf News, 2026). MOHRE also warns you not to pay money or share bank details until the offer is confirmed (Gulf News, 2026). No barcode, no deal. See our UAE work visa process guide.
How to check if a job offer in Oman is authentic
Ask for the company's commercial registration number and check it with Oman's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. Then ask for the work permit (labour clearance) issued by the Ministry of Labour. You can contact the Ministry of Labour at +968 80077000 or doc@mol.gov.om (Gov.om, 2026). Do not accept an Oman job on a visit visa.
Saudi Arabia: Qiwa and Musaned
Private-sector contracts are documented on Qiwa, the labour platform of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. The worker can approve, reject or ask to change the contract in their own Qiwa account (HRSD, 2024). Domestic worker contracts are documented on Musaned, and the worker confirms the contract with a code sent by text message (HRSD, 2026). Get the full written contract before you fly. After you arrive, check that the contract on Qiwa or Musaned matches it, and do not accept it if it does not.
UK: check the sponsor register and the salary
A UK job with a visa must come from an employer on the Register of licensed sponsors. The usual Skilled Worker salary is at least £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job if higher (GOV.UK, 2026). Care worker and senior care worker jobs closed to new applicants from abroad on 22 July 2025 (HC 997, 2025). So a "sponsored care job" offered to you overseas is a red flag. Our guide on how to read the UK sponsor register shows you what to look for.
Canada: LMIA and Job Bank
Most employers who hire temporary foreign workers need a valid LMIA. On Job Bank, jobs open to candidates from outside Canada are clearly marked (Job Bank, 2026). Your employer cannot make you pay to get or keep your job. You only pay for your work permit, medical exam and biometrics (ESDC, 2026). Canada issued over $10.2 million in penalties to non-compliant employers between April 2025 and March 2026 (ESDC, 2026).
USA: H-2A and H-2B seasonal jobs
For seasonal jobs, look up the employer on seasonaljobs.dol.gov. The US Department of Labor says recruitment fees are illegal. If you paid a recruiter in your home country, your employer must pay it all back in your first paycheck (US DOL, 2026).
Australia: Fair Work, salary and accommodation
Check the business on ABN Lookup. It is against the law for an employer to ask you for money in exchange for visa sponsorship, or to make you repay sponsorship or recruitment costs (Home Affairs, 2026). Visa holders have the same pay and rights as other workers. If no award or agreement covers your job, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026. An employer can only take money from your pay, for example for accommodation, if the deduction is reasonable and the law, your award or agreement, or your own written agreement (mainly for your benefit) allows it (Fair Work Ombudsman, 2026). If an offer says "free housing" but takes most of your pay for a shared room, call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.
Israel job offer letter from a consultancy in India: what to verify
Israel recruits Indian construction workers through a bilateral (government-to-government) channel. Check that the consultancy is on eMigrate as an active recruiting agent. Ask which channel the job uses. Israel's Population and Immigration Authority says that from January 2027, private recruitment of construction workers from India and Sri Lanka will stop and only the bilateral channel will be used (Calcalist, 2026). India's MEA has also warned about unregistered agents sending workers to Israel (MEA advisory, 2026).
Country notes for job seekers at home
- India: Check the agent on eMigrate. Do not pay more than Rs 30,000 + GST, and always get a receipt. For a teaching job, also check the school with the education regulator in the destination. Call the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra on 1800 11 3090 (from India) for help. MEA has warned about fake "digital sales and marketing" and "customer support" jobs in Cambodia and Laos, often reached through Thailand, that lead to cyber scam centres (Economic Times, 2024).
- Pakistan: Check the promoter on the BE&OE OEP list before you pay.
- Nigeria: An agent placing you abroad needs a Federal Ministry of Labour Recruiter's Licence for international placement, listed on NELEX. NAPTIP warns about fake oil and gas jobs used to traffic people to nearby West African countries (NAPTIP, 2024).
- Uganda: Use only companies licensed by the MGLSD External Employment Unit.
- Kenya: Check the NEA register. In May 2026 it listed 1,296 agencies and showed if each licence was valid or expired (State Department for Diaspora Affairs, 2026).
- Philippines: Check the agency and the job order on DMW. You will also need the OEC and DMW exit clearance before departure.
Can you get an overseas job without an agent (bina agent ke)?
Yes. You can apply directly on official portals such as Canada's Job Bank, seasonaljobs.dol.gov in the USA, and employer careers pages. Gulf employers also hire directly. If you use an agent, choose a licensed one and pay only the legal fee your country allows.
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Free eligibility check →What is changing, and when
- August and October 2026: MOHRE repeated that every UAE job offer must be on its barcoded form and checked before you pay or share data (Gulf News, 2026).
- July 2026: Canada said it more than doubled penalties on employers who break foreign worker rules (ESDC, 2026).
- 1 January 2027: Israel plans to end private recruitment of construction workers from India and Sri Lanka (Calcalist, 2026). Any agent selling "private" Israel construction jobs after that date is a warning sign.
Already paid? What to do now
- Stop paying. Do not send more money, even if they threaten you or promise a refund.
- Call your bank or mobile money provider today. Ask for a reversal or a freeze. Speed matters.
- Save the evidence. Screenshots, receipts, phone numbers, account numbers and links.
- Report it at home. Go to the police cybercrime unit and the agency that licenses recruiters (eMigrate, BE&OE, NELEX, MGLSD, DMW or NEA).
- Report it to the destination. For the UAE, call MOHRE on 600590000. In the UK, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 (NCA, 2026). In Canada, call the Human Trafficking Hotline on 1-833-900-1010 (ESDC, 2026).
- Warn others in your community groups.
Our step-by-step guide on what to do when an agent took your money covers recovery in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify an overseas job offer is not a scam?
Check three things on official sites: the company register of the job country, the agent's licence in your own country, and the destination's offer check (the MOHRE barcode in the UAE, the sponsor register in the UK). If anyone asks you to pay for the job or visa, it is a scam.
Who will give me a genuine job in Canada, America or the UAE and call me?
No real company calls strangers to offer a job abroad. Genuine employers call people who applied, through portals such as Job Bank, seasonaljobs.dol.gov or the company's careers page. If someone calls you first and then asks for money, it is a scam.
Is a job confirmed if I got it through Bayt?
No. Bayt is a job board, not the employer. Bayt itself tells users never to pay money for visas or anything else for jobs posted on its site (Bayt, 2026). For a UAE job, the offer is only confirmed when you can check the MOHRE barcode.
How do I check if a Gulf job offer from an agency in Kenya is real?
Search the agency on the NEA register at neaims.go.ke or diaspora.go.ke/verify and make sure the licence is "Valid". Then check the job in the Gulf country: the MOHRE barcode for the UAE. For Saudi Arabia, get the full written contract before you fly and check it against Qiwa or Musaned when you arrive. Never pay for a Gulf visa. The employer pays.
Should I pay an agent to get a job abroad?
Not for the job or the visa. Some home countries allow a small capped service fee. India caps it at Rs 30,000 + GST. In Canada, the USA and Australia, employers may not charge you for the job or for sponsorship. Always ask for a receipt.
How do I verify an overseas teaching job offer letter from India?
Check the recruiting agent on eMigrate. Check the school with the destination's education regulator and call the school on the number from its own website. Ask for the work visa type. A teaching job on a tourist visa is not a real job.
The recruiter showed me a real licence number. Is that enough?
No. Scammers copy the licence numbers of real agencies. Look up the licence yourself, then check that the name, office address and phone number match the person you are dealing with.
