Four warning signs Pakistanis should check before accepting a job abroad

The Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment has identified four warning signs for Pakistanis seeking jobs abroad, urging them to check attractive offers before handing over money or a passport. These include unusually generous pay, unsolicited offers, unclear company identities and questionable passport-handling practices.

It could not be independently confirmed when or where the bureau issued the warning. The bureau cautioned that none of these signs, on its own, conclusively establishes fraud, but each is a reason to pause until verification is complete.

One warning sign is an offer of unusually high pay, extensive benefits and immediate recruitment for work requiring little skill or experience. Applicants should establish what the role involves, which qualifications are needed and why the proposed salary exceeds normal market rates.

Another is an overseas job offer arriving without an application, CV submission or interview. Whether the approach comes through a telephone call, WhatsApp or social media, jobseekers should independently check both the company and the person contacting them before trusting it.

The bureau also warned against treating a polished website or company logo as evidence that an employer is genuine. An office address that can be verified, contact details for responsible staff and clear information about the business should be available; their absence calls for further checks.

Those checks should use reliable contact information obtained independently, rather than relying only on the telephone number supplied by the person making the offer.

The fourth warning concerns demands to retain a passport for processing. Applicants should be wary if there is no clear requirement to submit the document, no receipt is issued or its return is delayed.

Where a passport must be handed over for a necessary legal procedure, jobseekers should first confirm the requirement with the relevant agency. They should also obtain a receipt recording the passport number, collection date and purpose, together with a signature and stamp.