Every year, GCC employers lose money to unlicensed Indian recruitment agencies. The pattern is consistent: an employer pays a placement fee, receives a batch of workers with mismatched documentation, faces visa rejections or labour court disputes on arrival, and then discovers the agency that processed the batch was operating without a valid MEA license.
This is not a theoretical risk. The Protector of Emigrants in India processes thousands of emigration clearances annually — and a significant proportion of the problems that surface at this stage trace back to unlicensed or expired-license recruiters who processed part of the documentation chain.
Here is how to verify any Indian manpower agency before you engage.
What the MEA License Is
The MEA (Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India) issues Recruitment Agent licenses to companies authorised to legally recruit Indian workers for overseas employment under the Emigration Act 1983.
A licensed recruiter:
- Is registered in the MEA's national database (e-FRRO system)
- Has deposited the mandatory government bond (currently INR 50 lakhs for larger agencies)
- Is legally permitted to issue emigration clearance documentation
- Is accountable to the Protector of Emigrants for each deployment
An unlicensed operator cannot legally process emigration clearance. Workers deployed through unlicensed agents either bypass the clearance system (illegal and creates liability for the employer) or use forged documents (creates immigration and criminal risk for both worker and employer).
How to Check: The MEA eMigrate Portal
The authoritative verification source is India's eMigrate portal operated by the MEA Bureau of Emigration:
URL: https://emigrate.gov.in/ext/AgentSearch.faces
Steps: 1. Go to the eMigrate portal 2. Select "Agent Search" 3. Enter the agency name or license number 4. The portal returns the agency's registration status, license number, validity period, and registered address
If an agency does not appear in this database, they do not hold a valid MEA license.
What a Valid License Number Looks Like
MEA license numbers follow a standard format:
B-XXXX/CITY/PER/1000+/X/XXXXX/YEAR
Example: B-3252/DEL/PER/1000+/5/11251/2025
Breaking this down:
- B = Branch license category
- 3252 = Sequential registration number
- DEL = City of registration (Delhi)
- PER = Permanent license (vs. provisional)
- 1000+ = Approved deployment capacity (1,000+ workers per year)
- 5 = License renewal count
- 11251/2025 = License reference and year
A license without a year suffix, or with "PROV" (provisional) status, indicates a newer or unverified agency. Ask for the full license number and cross-check it on the eMigrate portal yourself — do not accept a screenshot.
Red Flags for Unlicensed Operations
- No license number on their website or letterhead: Licensed agencies display their MEA number prominently because it is required on all demand letter acknowledgements
- License number doesn't match portal results: Verify the exact number — fake or expired license numbers are a common fraud
- Requests payment before providing a written proposal: Licensed agencies provide written proposals; the payment structure comes after
- Cannot produce the physical MEA license certificate on request: The original certificate is a large government-printed document — licensed agencies have it framed in their office
- Workers paying their own visa fees: Illegal under Indian law and MOHRE regulations — if a recruiter suggests this arrangement, terminate the conversation
AK International's License
AK International holds MEA license B-3252/DEL/PER/1000+/5/11251/2025, verifiable on the eMigrate portal. The license is permanently registered in New Delhi with approval for 1,000+ annual deployments.
Any GCC employer is welcome to verify this directly on the eMigrate portal before proceeding.