Free checklistBangladesh to United States: pre-departure checklist
If you want to go to United States for work the legal way, check this list before you pay anyone.
The most important rule
Do not pay any large amount before independently verifying the job, employer, visa and payment terms. An agency licence alone does not prove its United States job offer is genuine.
Current alert
Since January 2025 H-2 visas no longer depend on a country list, but they remain very limited and the employer bears the costs. In 2026 immigrant visa issuance to Bangladeshis was paused and a bond was introduced for visit visas — check the embassy website for the current status.
Analysis at a glance
Risk: High — frequent fraud reports- Region
- Americas & Oceania
- Permit / visa
- H-2A (agricultural) or H-2B (non-agricultural) temporary seasonal visa
- How hiring works
- Employer gets labour certification from the Department of Labor → I-129 petition to USCIS → visa interview at the US Embassy in Dhaka → BMET clearance
- Where you apply
- Interview at the US Embassy in Dhaka
- Typical total cost
- ৳1–4 lakh (approx.)
- Typical salary
- About USD 12–20/hour — the government-set wage differs by state and job; see the exact rate in the job order on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov
- Timeline
- 4–8 months
- Language
- English needed
- Common sectors
- Agriculture (H-2A) · Landscaping (H-2B) · Hotels and resorts (H-2B) · Seafood/meat processing (H-2B)
Cost and salary are editorial estimates — they vary by offer, sector and time. This is not a job, visa or salary guarantee.
1. Before paying the broker
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2. Verify on official websites
Bangladesh
- BMETLicensed recruiting agencies, RL number, status and expiry; emigration clearancebmet.gov.bd
- Ami ProbashiWorker registration, BMET clearance and smart card onlinewww.amiprobashi.com
- প্রবাসী কল্যাণ ও বৈদেশিক কর্মসংস্থান মন্ত্রণালয়Government-fixed migration costs, notices and complaintsprobashi.gov.bd
- BOESLState recruiting agency — G2G notices (e.g. Korea EPS, Japan)boesl.gov.bd
Destination country
- SeasonalJobs.dol.govOfficial list of approved H-2A/H-2B jobsseasonaljobs.dol.gov
- USCIS — H-2BH-2B rules and prohibited feeswww.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2b-temporary-non-agricultural-workers
- USCIS — H-2AH-2A farm visa ruleswww.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2a-temporary-agricultural-workers
- U.S. Embassy in BangladeshVisa interviews and noticesbd.usembassy.gov/
Remember: a screenshot of an online application or a PDF shown by the agency is not final proof of approval. Verify through the official portal or the relevant authority.
3. Stop paying if you see these signs
Warning signs
- “100% visa guarantee” or “there are never any rejections”.
- Keeping the employer's name secret.
- Pressure to pay quickly without time to verify.
- Talking only on WhatsApp with no written contract.
- Asking you to start working on a visit/tourist visa.
- Repeatedly asking for more money without proof of approval or refund.
- Charging a recruitment fee for an H-2 job — US law forbids collecting such fees from workers.
- Selling DV lottery forms — people born in Bangladesh cannot enter the DV lottery, and it is not a work visa.
- Offers to take you to the US via Brazil/Mexico — many paid Tk 45–70 lakh only to be detained and deported.
4. A message you can send the broker
Copy into WhatsApp or SMS
Before starting the United States work permit process, I would like to confirm a few things: 1. What is the United States employer's company name, address and registration number? 2. Can I verify the job offer and the signed contract? 3. Through which process will the H-2A (agricultural) or H-2B (non-agricultural) temporary seasonal visa be applied for? 4. Will you give me the official application number or online proof I can verify? 5. What is the total cost, the step-by-step payment, and the refund terms if the visa fails? 6. Can you give references of workers from Bangladesh who went to United States successfully through you? I will decide on payment only after verifying all information and the contract.
Our advice
Before paying any agency, collect its name, RL licence number, the United States company name and the total package price. With these you can check the risks one by one — or send them to us and we will review them with you.
Contact us to review an agency