Fake job offers are a real risk for people looking for oil and gas work in the Gulf. Scammers copy the names of real companies, promise high salaries and ask for money for a “visa”, “processing” or “medical”. Then they disappear.
This guide shows the warning signs, the fees that are illegal, and how to check an agent, an offer and a visa using official sources. If you are from India, the Philippines or Pakistan, there are extra checks you can do at home.
The golden rule: real employers pay for recruitment
In most Gulf countries, the law says the employer pays the cost of hiring you.
- UAE: charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal. The employer pays the costs of recruitment, travel and your residence permit (u.ae). The Labour Law says the employer may not charge these fees, directly or indirectly (Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021).
- Saudi Arabia: the employer pays the recruitment fees, the iqama and work permit fees, and the exit and re-entry visa fees (Article 40 of the Labor Law).
- Qatar: the ILO’s summary of Qatari law says charging workers recruitment fees, expenses or any other costs is prohibited (ILO).
If someone asks you to pay for your work visa, your work permit or “a guaranteed job”, treat it as a warning sign.
Warning signs of a fake offer
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) warns that illegal agents often work through Facebook, WhatsApp and text messages, give little or no address or contact details, and talk only on WhatsApp. It also reports workers being overcharged by Rs 2 to 5 lakh (MEA advisory). Other warning signs:
- You are asked to pay before you have a contract. Or you are asked to pay into a personal bank account or by a money transfer app.
- The job comes with a tourist or visit visa. MEA says a valid job offer lets you travel on an employment or work visa, not a tourist visa. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) also says: do not accept a tourist visa (DMW).
- There is no written contract. MEA says a valid job offer comes with an employment contract signed by the foreign employer, the recruiting agent and the worker, with the terms, salary and benefits.
- The salary is far above what similar ads offer, or the job needs no experience or certificates when real ads for the same role do.
- The email comes from a free email address (such as Gmail or Yahoo) instead of the company’s own domain.
- You must decide very fast, or you are told to keep the offer secret.
- Someone sells you a certificate without training. Offshore safety certificates such as BOSIET can be checked online, for example with OPITO’s Certificate Validity Checker. A certificate without training will not pass.
How to check an offer and a visa
UAE
Your job offer must be in Arabic, English and a third language you understand, signed electronically by the employer, and your contract must match it (u.ae). Check the offer on MOHRE’s public Offer Inquiry service, using the transaction number on the offer, your passport number and your nationality.
Saudi Arabia
Ask your employer for your visa application or visa number. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform has a public inquiry service where you can check it.
Any country
- Find the job on the employer’s own careers website. On this board, every job links to the employer’s own page.
- Call the company using a phone number from its official website, not the number in the message you received.
- Never send your passport original to anyone. Send copies only when you are sure the employer is real.
Extra checks if you are from India
- Use only a registered Recruiting Agent (RA). Registered agents have a licence number shown in their office and in their ads. Check the agent on eMigrate under “List of active RA” (MEA advisory).
- Know the legal maximum fee. Under the Emigration Act 1983, a recruiting agent may not charge you more than Rs 30,000 plus GST (18%) in service charges, and must give you a receipt (same source).
- Emigration clearance. If your passport is endorsed “ECR” (Emigration Check Required) and you are going to an ECR country for work, you need emigration clearance (MEA). MEA’s list of ECR countries includes all six Gulf countries (MEA). Your agent or employer should arrange this through eMigrate.
- Insurance. MEA says registered agents must buy Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) insurance for migrant workers.
- Help and complaints. Contact Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK): toll-free 1800 11 3090 from India, or helpline@mea.gov.in (MEA advisory).
Extra checks if you are from the Philippines
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which took over from POEA, gives this advice (DMW):
- Apply only through licensed agencies, and only for jobs they have a job order for. DMW offers online checks of agency status and job orders (DMW).
- Do not deal with anyone who is not an authorised representative of a licensed agency, and do not do business outside the agency’s registered address.
- Do not pay any placement fee without a valid employment contract and an official receipt.
- Do not deal with training centres or travel agencies that promise overseas jobs, or with fixers.
Placement fees. Under the 2016 POEA rules for land-based workers, a placement fee may be up to one month’s basic salary. But no fee may be charged to workers going to countries whose laws, policies or practice do not allow recruitment fees to be charged, and the worker pays only after signing the approved contract (POEA rules, Section 51). The UAE and Qatar ban recruitment fees for workers (see above). Ask DMW which rule applies to your destination.
Extra checks if you are from Pakistan
Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment publishes the list of licensed Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs). Check that your agent’s licence is on the list and active before you pay anything.
If you have already paid
- Keep every receipt, message and bank record.
- Stop paying. Scammers often ask for “one more fee”.
- Report it to your government’s migrant worker office (in India, PBSK or eMigrate; in the Philippines, DMW; in Pakistan, the Bureau of Emigration) and to the police.
- If the scammer used a real company’s name, tell that company through its official website.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to pay a fee for a Gulf oil and gas job?
No, not for the visa or recruitment. UAE law makes recruitment fees for job seekers illegal, and Qatar prohibits them too. Saudi law says the employer pays recruitment, iqama and work permit fees. In India, a registered agent may charge at most Rs 30,000 plus GST in service charges, with a receipt.
Can I go to the Gulf on a visit visa and find an oil and gas job there?
Be very careful. India’s MEA says a valid job offer lets you travel on an employment or work visa, not a tourist visa, and the Philippine DMW says not to accept a tourist visa for work. An offer that asks you to travel on a visit visa is a warning sign.
How do I check if a recruitment agent in India is genuine?
Look for the agent’s licence number, then check it in the “List of active RA” on the government’s eMigrate portal. Registered agents must display their licence number in their office and in their adverts, including on social media.
How can I check a UAE job offer?
Use MOHRE’s public Offer Inquiry service with the transaction number on your offer, your passport number and your nationality. Your offer must be in Arabic, English and a language you understand.