How to Verify an Overseas Job Offer Before Sending Money or Documents

Published 11 November 2026. A convincing overseas job advertisement can still be outdated, copied or false. Before sending identification documents, paying money or planning a move, check three separate things: whether the employer is real, whether the exact vacancy is open, and whether the proposed immigration route fits your circumstances. Passing one check does not settle the other two.

1. Start again from the employer's own website

Write down the employer name, job title, location and reference number from the advertisement. Then open the employer's website independently and find its careers section. Avoid relying solely on a link supplied in a message. Compare the reference number, responsibilities, location and application instructions with the original advertisement.

If the job appears only on a third-party board, that is a reason to investigate rather than proof of fraud. Ask the employer, through contact details obtained independently from its website, whether the vacancy and recruiter are authorised. Do not send a passport scan merely to ask whether a job exists.

2. Know what an application button actually opens

An employer application form, a recruitment agency listing and a job-board search page are different destinations. A button labelled “Apply” may lead to an intermediary, an expired advertisement or a collection of unrelated roles. Read the destination address and page title before entering information. If the original vacancy has disappeared, do not assume that a replacement role has the same salary, location or sponsorship terms.

Keep the job reference and the date you checked it. If you return later, verify it again. A saved screenshot can document what you saw, but it cannot establish that a role remains open.

3. Check sponsorship separately from the job offer

For UK roles, consult the official register of licensed worker sponsors. It records licensed organisations and sponsorship categories. A matching organisation name is a useful check, but does not establish that the message came from that organisation or that it will sponsor this particular job. Compare the employer's identity and ask about the exact role through an independently verified contact.

For Canada, read the employer-supported work permit overview and follow its official government references. Ask which work-permit category the employer proposes and which documents it will supply. A general claim that “Canada needs workers” does not establish eligibility for your application.

4. Treat payments and document requests as separate decisions

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's job-scam guidance warns about paying for a promised job and schemes that ask applicants to deposit a cheque and send money onwards. A professional-looking interview invitation or offer letter does not remove those warning signs.

There is also a difference between a genuine government application fee and a demand to buy a job offer. Identify the payee, the published fee and the official payment route before paying anything. Do not use a payment address supplied by a recruiter as your only evidence.

Canada's high-wage Temporary Foreign Worker Program requirements state that the LMIA processing fee cannot be paid by or recovered from temporary foreign workers. Employers must also ensure that recruitment fees are not charged to those workers directly or indirectly. If a recruiter asks you to fund an employer's LMIA or pay for access to the job, stop and check the relevant programme rules through official channels.

5. Ask questions that can be checked

• What is the job reference, work location and legal employer name?
• Where is the vacancy published on the employer's careers portal?
• Who will interview me, and can the employer confirm that person's role?
• Does the employer offer sponsorship for this particular position?
• Which pay, hours and responsibilities will appear in the employment agreement?
• Why is each requested document needed, and through which verified system should it be submitted?

Keep answers alongside the original advertisement. Contradictions deserve clarification before you proceed. For example, a role advertised as one city but offered in another may reflect a legitimate change, a copied advertisement or a different job. Ask for an explanation and an updated written description.

6. Keep a simple verification record

Use one note for each application containing the original URL, employer portal URL, job reference, date checked and unresolved questions. Record what is confirmed and what remains uncertain. A useful entry might say: “Employer identity checked; vacancy not found on careers portal; recruiter authorisation awaiting confirmation.” That is more useful than marking an entire offer “verified” after checking only a company name.

If you have already sent money

The FTC recommends contacting the payment provider promptly, reporting the fraud and asking whether the transaction can be reversed. Preserve messages, receipts, addresses and the original listing. Recovery is not guaranteed. If sensitive documents were shared, seek appropriate identity-protection guidance for your country.

Travels.log.ng is an independent publisher and does not arrange jobs, issue sponsorship documents or process immigration applications. If one of our links or listings appears misleading, send the article URL and the issue to travels@log.ng.