BMET Status Check: Visa, Agency and Clearance
Four things a migrant worker actually needs to check before paying an agency or boarding a flight: that the visa is real, that the agency is licensed, that the training centre is approved, and where to escalate when a file stalls.
The four checks, with the official links
| What you check | What you need ready | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Visa verification Check that the visa your agency showed you is the one BMET cleared. | Passport number and the visa or clearance number | Official check |
| Recruiting agency licence Confirm the agency holds a live BMET licence before you pay anything. | Agency name or licence (RL) number | Official check |
| Training centre Check a technical training centre is government approved before enrolling. | Centre name | Official check |
| Grievance and complaint Escalate a stuck file or a fraudulent agency to the ministry. | Passport, agency name, receipt, dates | Official check |
These are the ministry's own service links. The BMET legacy portal is sometimes slow or refuses connections from abroad; retry at a different hour rather than paying an agent to check it for you.
What BMET actually controls
BMET sits under the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. It registers job seekers, licenses the recruiting agencies that send workers abroad, approves technical training centres, and clears the visa and contract a worker travels on. When people say their clearance is stuck, this is the file that is stuck.
That also means BMET is not the body that pays your salary abroad, renews your iqama or resolves a dispute with a foreign employer. Those belong to your embassy's labour wing and the destination country's labour office.
Before you pay an agency anything
- Check the licence on the official agency list and note the licence number that comes back.
- Pay only against a printed receipt with the agency's name and licence number on it, never to a personal account.
- Take the visa verification printout before paying the final instalment.
- Compare the contract you sign with what BMET cleared. A different employer or salary is the most common switch.
When a clearance stalls
Escalate in writing and in order, so each step has a paper trail: the agency, then BMET, then the ministry's grievance cell, and if you are already abroad, your embassy's labour wing as well. Send the same one-page summary each time: passport number, agency name and licence, what you paid and when, and the date your file last moved.
Frequently asked questions
What is BMET and what does it control?
BMET is the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training under the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. It registers job seekers, licenses recruiting agencies, approves training centres and clears the visa and contract a worker travels on.
How do I check my visa or manpower clearance?
Use the online visa verification service on the BMET legacy portal with your passport number and the visa or clearance number. If the page will not load from abroad, retry later or ask your agency for the printed clearance.
How do I know a recruiting agency is legitimate?
Check the agency against the official agency list before paying. A licensed agency has a BMET registration and licence number, issues receipts, and never asks for payment to a personal account.
My clearance has been stuck for weeks. Who do I contact?
Go back to the agency in writing, then escalate to BMET and the ministry grievance cell with passport, agency name, payment receipt and dates. If you are already abroad, add your embassy's labour wing.
Which documents should I keep?
Passport, visa and clearance copies, agency receipt and contract, training certificate, bank or bKash payment record, and every WhatsApp or email exchange with the agency.
Also useful: Probashi Card, Police clearance certificate, Gulf consular desk, Remittance tools.