Overseas Job Scams: How to Check a Recruitment Agency in Kenya

Working abroad can transform a family's finances, and there are genuine opportunities for Kenyans in the Gulf, Europe, North America and elsewhere. But overseas jobs are also the area where job seekers lose the most money. Recent government warnings have named dozens of agencies operating without valid registration, and many Kenyans have lost hundreds of thousands of shillings to fake offers for jobs in Canada and other countries.

This guide explains how to protect yourself before you hand over your passport or any money.

Step 1: Check that the agency is licensed by the NEA

In Kenya, private employment agencies must be registered by the National Employment Authority (NEA), under the State Department for Labour. Agencies that are not registered are not allowed to recruit for local or foreign jobs.

The NEA publishes the list of registered agencies and their status on its website, neaims.go.ke. Before you deal with any agency:

1. Search for the agency's exact registered name on the NEA list.
2. Check that its status is active, not suspended or revoked.
3. Make sure the name on the list matches the name on the agency's office signboard, letters, receipts and M-Pesa paybill.

Fraudsters sometimes use a name very similar to a licensed agency. If anything does not match exactly, stop.

Step 2: Understand which fees are legal

Under the Labour Institutions (Private Employment Agencies) Regulations, an agency's service fee for recruiting, documenting and placing a worker is charged to the employer, not to you. The regulations allow an agency to charge a job seeker only limited, reasonable administrative costs, such as for a trade or occupational test, capped at no more than one month of the expected salary. A foreign employment contract must also state who pays for the visa, the air ticket and the medical examination.

So be very wary of agencies asking for large "processing", "placement", "visa" or "booking" fees, especially before you have seen a written contract.

Step 3: Verify the job and the employer

• Ask for the name and address of the overseas employer, and look the employer up yourself.
• Ask for a written job offer and an employment contract stating the job title, salary, working hours, accommodation, contract length and who pays for travel.
• Be suspicious of jobs that need no experience, no interview and no language test, but promise very high pay.
• For countries with work permit systems, such as Canada or the UK, check the official immigration website for how work visas are actually obtained. Many fake offers misdescribe the process.

Step 4: Visit the office, and keep records

• Visit the agency's physical office and confirm it matches the address on the NEA list.
• Never pay cash without an official receipt, and never pay into a personal M-Pesa number.
• Keep copies of every document, message and payment.
• Do not hand over your original passport until you have a verified contract.

Common overseas job scams

• "Canada jobs" with fast-track visas: offers of farm, warehouse, trucking or caregiver jobs with a guaranteed visa in exchange for fees paid in instalments.
• Fake "sponsorship" letters from employers that do not exist.
• Agencies that collect fees and disappear, or keep postponing your travel date.
• Bait-and-switch: you are promised one job and salary, then given a different contract on arrival.
• Social media recruiters on Facebook, TikTok or WhatsApp who only communicate by phone and avoid meeting in person.

Questions to ask before you pay anything

1. What is your exact registered name, and can I see you on the NEA list?
2. Who is the employer, and where exactly will I work?
3. Can I see the contract before I pay?
4. Who pays for the visa, ticket and medical exam, and is this in the contract?
5. What exactly is this payment for, and will I get an official receipt?

A genuine, licensed agency will answer all of these without pressure.

If you have been scammed

• Report the agency to the National Employment Authority and to the police or the DCI, with copies of receipts, messages and documents.
• If you paid by M-Pesa, contact Safaricom immediately about a possible reversal.
• Warn others by reporting it to us.

Find verified jobs abroad

JobsToGrab lists jobs outside Kenya directly from employers and official sources, and every job is checked by a person before it goes live. We never charge job seekers. For more warning signs, read 12 signs of a fake job advert in Kenya.