Last month a reader messaged our WhatsApp channel asking if we could "check" an agent for him. He had already paid Rs. 45,000 as "processing fee" to a man in Gujranwala who promised him a cleaner's job in Qatar with free visa and free ticket. No receipt, no office address, just a WhatsApp number and a photo of what looked like a work permit. By the time he wrote to us, the agent had gone silent for four days. We searched the agent's name on the government's own licence database — nothing. He was never registered to send anyone abroad in the first place.
This happens every week in Pakistan. It is not always obvious con artists with fake offices — sometimes it is a distant relative, a "connection" from the mosque, or someone who genuinely worked abroad once and now sells himself as an agent. The good news is that checking whether someone is legally allowed to process your overseas job takes less time than making a cup of chai, and it is completely free. Here is exactly how to do it, plus what to do if you already handed over money.
What an "OEP Licence" Actually Means
Every person or company allowed to legally recruit Pakistanis for jobs abroad must hold a licence from the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE), which works under the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. These licensed businesses are officially called Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs).
If someone is arranging a work visa for you and does not hold a valid OEP licence, they are operating illegally — full stop. It does not matter how convincing their office looks, how many "client photos" they show you, or how confidently they quote visa fees. Without a licence, there is no legal accountability if things go wrong, and no protection process behind your visa.
How to Check an Agent's Licence in Under 2 Minutes
You don't need to visit any office for this. Do it from your phone before you agree to anything:
- Step 1: Open beoe.gov.pk/list-of-oeps — this is the only official list, run directly by the government.
- Step 2: Search by the agency's name, the proprietor's name, or the licence number printed on their signboard or visiting card (it usually looks like OEPL No. 3605/LHR).
- Step 3: Check the status shown next to their name. It should say the licence is active, not suspended, expired, or under show-cause notice.
- Step 4: Match the office address on the website against the office you actually visited. Some fraudsters borrow a real licence number and operate from a completely different, unregistered location.
If the name doesn't appear anywhere on that list, do not proceed — no matter what documents, stamps, or "guarantee letters" they show you.
7 Signs You're Dealing With a Fake Agent
- "Free visa, free ticket, guaranteed selection." Legitimate recruitment involves a real employer, a real demand letter, and a process — nobody guarantees a foreign visa in advance.
- They avoid giving you their OEP licence number, or get vague when you ask for it directly.
- They ask for full payment upfront, in cash, with no receipt or bank deposit slip.
- Payment is requested into a personal bank account rather than the registered company account.
- There's no physical office, or the "office" is a room with no signboard — OEPs are legally required to display one.
- Heavy pressure to decide "today only" or the seat/visa will be "given to someone else."
- The job offer or visa copy they show you has spelling mistakes, mismatched company logos, or a job title that doesn't match the salary being offered.
What Real Protection Actually Looks Like
Under the Emigration Ordinance 1979, anyone leaving Pakistan on a work visa through an OEP is supposed to be "protected" before departure. In practice, this means your Foreign Service Agreement (the contract between you and the foreign employer) is verified and countersigned by a government official called the Protector of Emigrants (PE) at your nearest Protectorate office. This step exists specifically so there's an official government record of your salary, contract period, and employer — something you can point to if the employer later cheats you abroad. A genuine OEP will take you through this step. A fraudster will avoid it entirely, because it exposes them.
This Isn't Rare — It's in the News Every Week
Scroll through this year's news and the pattern repeats constantly. In July 2026, FIA's Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Punjab arrested people accused of collecting lakhs of rupees from job seekers and relatives after promising them jobs in Portugal and Saudi Arabia that never existed. Around the same time, FIA Islamabad picked up a man running an unlicensed "immigration consultancy" who had allegedly taken close to two million rupees from one victim with a fake UK job promise. These aren't unusual, high-profile cases — they're a normal week for FIA's anti-trafficking desks, which should tell you how common this problem really is.
Already Paid Money to a Fake Agent? Do This Now
Don't wait, and don't feel embarrassed — this happens to careful people too.
- Gather your evidence first: bank deposit slips or transaction screenshots, WhatsApp chats, the agent's CNIC copy or business card, and any documents they gave you (even fake ones — they're evidence).
- Call FIA's helpline: 1991, or email complaints@fia.gov.pk. You can also lodge a complaint directly through FIA's official website.
- Visit your nearest FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle office in person if the amount involved is significant — cases move faster with an in-person complaint and a written statement.
- If the person did hold a real OEP licence but broke the rules (overcharged you, misrepresented the job, didn't protect your visa), you can also report them directly to BE&OE — the Bureau regularly issues show-cause notices and suspends licences based on complaints from job seekers.
Quick Checklist Before You Hand Over a Single Rupee
- ✅ Checked the name/licence number on beoe.gov.pk — status is active
- ✅ Office address matches what's listed officially
- ✅ They gave you a proper receipt or bank deposit slip for any payment
- ✅ No one promised a "100% guaranteed" or "free" visa
- ✅ They've explained the Protector of Emigrants / protection step to you
- ✅ You've read the Foreign Service Agreement yourself, in full, before signing
If you can't tick every box, it's worth pausing — even if the agent seems friendly, even if a relative referred you, and even if the job "sounds perfect." A two-minute check on an official government website is a small price for protecting money that usually took years to save.
We publish free, verified job listings and visa guides for the Gulf, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia at DreamAbroadJobs.com — we never charge a rupee for a job listing, and we'd rather you double-check an agent today than lose your savings to one tomorrow.
