Paying an agent — rules that protect you

Whatever the destination country, how an agent asks to be paid tells you a great deal about them. These rules apply to every corridor.

Never pay in ways that can’t be traced

• No cash. Cash payments are unprovable, and “cash discount” offers exist precisely to remove evidence.
• No personal accounts. Payment goes to a current account in the agency’s registered name — not the owner’s savings account, an employee’s UPI ID, or a relative’s account. Ask for the account name in writing before transferring, and check the name your bank shows at transfer time matches the agency.
• No hawala or “adjustment” arrangements, including paying part in India and part “on arrival”.

Always get a receipt — a real one

A genuine receipt shows the agency’s name, address, registration/licence number, the amount in figures and words, what the payment is for, a date, and a signature or stamp. A WhatsApp message saying “received, thanks” is not a receipt. If the agent hesitates to give a proper receipt for a lawful fee, the fee is not lawful.

Match the fee to what’s legal

• Gulf jobs (via RA-licensed agents): service charges are capped by the MEA (historically around ₹30,000 + tax) — check the current cap on eMigrate. Employers bear most recruitment costs.
• UK: charging a work-seeker for finding them a job is illegal for recruitment agencies; visa fees are paid to the UK government.
• Canada: representation fees go to a licensed RCIC or lawyer under a written retainer agreement; government fees are paid to IRCC.
• Study routes: tuition and deposits are paid to the institution’s own account, never routed through the agent.

Stage payments against milestones

Never pay the full amount upfront. Tie each payment to a verifiable milestone — e.g., after you have independently verified the offer letter, after the visa is issued (you can see it), before travel. A legitimate agent can work with this; a fraudulent one cannot, which is the point.

Demands that end the conversation

• “Pay today or lose the seat/quota.”
• Refundable “security deposits” for showing up to interviews.
• Second and third surprise fees (“clearance”, “file charge”, “embassy fee”) after the first payment.
• Requests to hand over your passport against money owed — see your rights if a passport is withheld.

Keep every receipt and screenshot until you are settled abroad. If it goes wrong, that evidence is what makes recovery steps possible.