Before You Pay for an Overseas Job from India: The 10-Minute eMigrate Verification Test
A job abroad is not real because an agent sent you a visa PDF, a WhatsApp offer or a photo of a flight ticket. Verify the recruiter, employer, visa and contract before you pay or hand over your passport.
The decision this guide solves
You have received an overseas job offer from an agent or consultancy. The salary looks attractive. They want a registration fee, processing fee, medical fee or “security deposit.” You need to decide whether to proceed.
Use this guide before paying. If the offer fails one of the core checks, stop until you verify it independently.
This is an anti-fraud guide, not a guarantee that a job or visa is legitimate. Rules and fees vary by destination. Use official government channels and seek help from the Indian mission or a qualified professional.
The five-minute rule
Ask the recruiter for these five items in writing:
Their full legal name and Registration Certificate number, if they are recruiting from India.
The foreign employer’s legal name, address and official website.
The exact job title, salary, location, working hours and contract duration.
The exact work-visa category and destination authority.
A complete fee breakdown and official receipt.
If they refuse, delay, change the story or say “we have people inside,” do not pay.
Check 1: Is the Indian recruiter registered?
Under India’s Emigration Act framework, a Recruiting Agent must have a valid Registration Certificate issued through the Protector General of Emigrants. The Ministry of External Affairs says registration is issued through the eMigrate portal, where registered agents can be checked. [web:378][web:392]
Go to the official portal:
Search for the agency by name or registration details. Check that:
the legal name matches the name on the offer and receipt;
the registration is valid;
the office address matches;
the agency is authorised for the relevant recruitment activity and destination where the portal provides that information.
Do not rely on:
a logo on WhatsApp;
an Instagram page;
a Google Maps listing;
a certificate sent by the agent;
a recommendation from a friend without independent checking.
The Ministry of External Affairs reported that 3,505 unregistered agents had been notified to caution prospective emigrants as of January 2026. [web:395]
Check 2: Is there a real foreign employer?
Open the employer’s website yourself. Do not use only a link supplied by the recruiter.
Confirm:
the company exists in the destination country;
the company’s official website lists the same address and phone number;
the job appears on its own careers page, if recruitment is public;
the employer confirms the offer through an independently found email or phone number;
the person signing the offer actually works for the company.
A PDF on company letterhead is not proof. A fraudster can copy a logo and create a contract in minutes.
Check 3: Is it a work visa?
The visa must match the job. Be suspicious if the recruiter tells you to enter on:
a tourist visa;
a visitor visa;
a business visa for ordinary employment;
a visa category that the employer cannot name.
Ask:
“What exact visa category authorises me to perform this job for this employer?”
Then verify that category on the destination government’s official website. A work permit or employment authorisation may involve both the employer and the worker. The agent’s explanation is not the legal authority.
Check 4: Does the contract make sense?
The contract should identify:
employer legal name;
worker’s name;
job title and duties;
work location;
gross salary and currency;
deductions;
hours and overtime;
accommodation and transport terms;
contract duration;
probation and termination rules;
insurance or medical coverage;
who pays recruitment and travel costs.
Compare the salary with the destination country’s minimum wage and normal pay for the role. If the salary is dramatically higher than the market without a convincing explanation, treat it as a warning, not an opportunity.
Check 5: Test the payment request
Do not pay because someone says “today is the last day.”
Before any payment, request:
itemised invoice;
legal payee name;
official receipt;
refund terms;
destination authority’s published fee, if a government fee is claimed;
written explanation of every service.
A major red flag is payment to:
a personal bank account;
a different company from the recruiter;
a cash courier;
cryptocurrency;
a UPI account with no business identity;
an account in a different person’s name.
Never assume a “refundable security deposit” is normal. Verify it with the foreign employer and the destination authority independently.
The red-flag score
Give the offer one point for every statement that is true:
The recruiter will not provide an eMigrate registration number.
The employer cannot be reached independently.
The job is not on the employer’s website and cannot be confirmed.
The agent asks for payment before showing a contract.
The visa is tourist or visitor status for a regular job.
The agent promises a guaranteed visa.
The salary is much higher than comparable jobs.
The recruiter wants your passport and will not give a receipt.
The payment account does not match the legal company.
You are told not to contact the employer or embassy.
0 points: continue verifying; not proof of safety.
1–2 points: pause and obtain independent confirmation.
3 or more points: do not pay or travel until a qualified authority or professional verifies the offer.
Any fake-document request: stop immediately.
The passport rule
Do not hand over your original passport to an unverified intermediary. If an authorised process requires it, obtain a receipt and keep copies of the passport, contract, visa paperwork, payment records and contact details with a trusted family member.
Do not sign blank forms. Do not allow anyone to complete an application with information you have not reviewed.
If you already paid
Act quickly:
Save all messages, numbers, advertisements, contracts and receipts.
Contact your bank or payment provider and ask whether a transaction can be recalled or disputed.
Report cyber or financial fraud through India’s official reporting channels.
Contact the relevant Indian Embassy or Consulate if you are abroad or at risk.
Do not pay a second “release,” “refund” or “police clearance” fee to recover the first payment.
If you handed over your passport, contact the passport authority or local police if it is not returned.
The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly advised Indian nationals to be cautious about fraudulent job offers and unauthorised recruiting agents and to verify employment credentials through Indian missions. [web:395]
What a real process looks like
A legitimate process should allow you to verify the route without secrecy:
Identify the employer.
Identify the exact work-visa category.
Check the Indian recruiter on eMigrate, where relevant.
Confirm the employer independently.
Read the contract.
Calculate salary after deductions and living costs.
Confirm official fees.
Pay only to the documented legal entity.
Keep receipts and copies.
Confirm the visa before booking non-refundable travel.
The message to forward
Copy and send this to anyone offering you an overseas job:
Before I pay, please send your legal company name, eMigrate Registration Certificate number, employer’s official contact, exact work-visa category, signed employment contract, complete fee breakdown, official receipt and refund terms. I will verify everything independently.
If this request causes the offer to disappear, you saved your money.
Bottom line
The fastest way to lose money is to treat urgency as proof. A genuine overseas job can survive independent verification. A fake job usually depends on pressure, secrecy, unverifiable documents and payment before proof.
Verify first. Pay later—if the route is real.
Official sources
Last reviewed: 19 September 2026.
Komentarze