Working abroad: how not to fall victim to fraud.

Recently, a large number of scammers and fraudsters have appeared and become active in the Republic of Belarus and other countries, posing as legal firms for employment abroad.

For citizens of the Republic of Belarus, there are two ways to find employment abroad: independently and with the assistance of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who have a special permit (license) to engage in activities related to employment outside the Republic of Belarus.

If a citizen leaves on their own, then all responsibility for finding work and dealing with the employer rests with them.

In this article, we will talk about how to distinguish a legal agency providing employment services abroad from disguised scammers and thus protect yourself, not become a victim of fraud, and not find yourself in a difficult situation abroad.

Therefore, before signing a contract and going to work abroad, it is necessary to take all the necessary measures to prevent deception against you.

First of all, it is important to know that in order to legally carry out activities for the employment of citizens of the Republic of Belarus abroad, a company or individual entrepreneur must obtain a special permit (license) from the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. Without exception, all companies in any country are subject to state registration as economic entities.

Therefore, when turning to their services, you should definitely ask to see the license to carry out this type of activity, inquire about the registration certificate number. The organization's website should also indicate not only the legal address, full name of officials, landline and mobile phones and other contact information, but also a license to carry out the advertised activity with the registration certificate number.

You should also pay attention to which countries and specialties the license has been obtained for, as the company has the right to work only with an employer from a specific country in a specific specialty, and also pay attention to the validity period of the license. For example: a Belarusian company licensed to employ unskilled workers in Moscow does not have the right to employ specialists in the field of computer technology in the capital of Russia.

Also, pay attention to companies that have a license to employ citizens of the Republic of Belarus abroad; they do not have the right to operate after the expiration of the period for which the license was issued. By contacting a company whose license has expired, you risk being deceived – failure to fulfill the promised services, disappearance of the organization, and you are in a foreign country with a completely different way of life, culture, laws without money, documents, or any legal guarantees. In addition, illegal migrants are very severely punished everywhere for violating visa legislation.

You can check and get information about a company's license for employment abroad, its terms, countries of employment, and specialties by calling the hotline for safe departure and stay abroad:

• 8-801-201-5555 (free call for calls in the territory of the Republic of Belarus from landline phones of mobile operators A1, MTC);
• 113 (free calls without codes from landline phones in the territory of the Republic of Belarus);
• +375162218888 (for calls from abroad and in the territory of the Republic of Belarus - payment according to long-distance tariffs).
• Or check on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus www.mvd.gov.by.

For those Belarusian citizens who use the services of companies from Ukraine or Russia, it is necessary to know that in the CIS countries, the activities of companies for employment abroad are mandatory licensed. In Russia, such special permits are issued by the Federal Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in Ukraine – by the Employment and Labor Migration Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

Your next step towards safe departure abroad.

When working with a Belarusian company that has a license for employment abroad, a contract must be concluded for the provision of services by the company, which will clearly stipulate the rights and obligations of the parties. The main difference between a service contract and an employment contract is that the first is concluded with a company that has a license to employ citizens of the Republic of Belarus abroad and is going to find you a suitable job, while the second is directly with the employer providing the job.

It should be known that firms licensed to employ citizens of the Republic of Belarus abroad do not have the right to charge any kind of advance payment for assistance in finding employment before a citizen of the Republic of Belarus signs an employment contract with a foreign employer.

The firm's services are subject to payment only after signing an employment contract with a foreign employer. It is necessary to obtain and keep a document confirming payment for the firm's services, which will ensure your safety and give you the opportunity to recover material and moral damages through the court if the need arises.

Remember: an employment contract is concluded in writing in a language that is understandable to you. Before leaving abroad, the Belarusian company must register your employment contract with the employer in the department of citizenship and migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. Try to ensure that all agreed conditions of work and rest are recorded in the employment contract, and not left as verbal agreements.

To work abroad, everyone leaving must obtain a work visa for the country of employment (in the case of a visa regime), issued by its diplomatic mission or consular office (a tourist visa does not give the right to work). It is impossible to change the visa status abroad, so a work visa must be in the passport before leaving Belarus.

When leaving abroad, you must have copies of all documents with you in case the originals are lost, accident and sickness insurance, and a certain amount of money.

If you have problems in another country, contact the embassy of the Republic of Belarus or the police of the country in which you are located. To do this, write down and have with you the necessary addresses and contact phone numbers before you leave.

Now you know how to protect yourself from danger and not become a victim of scammers. Remember the old proverb «Knowledge is power».

Do not let yourself be deceived by assurances of fantastic salaries for a couple of hours a day, qualified work without experience, an easy life and free language training in the environment, and many other tempting offers that abound on the Internet, advertisements in apartment building entrances, stops and street poles. Your safety lies in your knowledge.

For more useful information about legal migration, visit the website of the NGO "Club of Business Women" http://bpwbrest.by/.