What the licence authorises
Act 246 defines “recruiting activity” as acting as an intermediary between an employer and a job seeker for payment — arranging, introducing, or placing someone into a job in exchange for a fee. A licence is the government’s permission to run that specific kind of business. It doesn’t certify the quality of any individual candidate, and it isn’t a general trading licence; it’s permission for exactly one activity, and the Act treats that activity as serious enough to require it.
The licence itself comes in three categories, covering different combinations of local, overseas, and foreign-worker placement — the category matters as much as the licence itself, since placing a foreign domestic worker specifically requires one of two particular categories, not just any licence.
- A licence authorises paid intermediary work connecting an employer with a job seeker — nothing more.
- Three categories exist; only two of them cover foreign domestic worker placement.
- Operating without the right licence is a criminal offence under s.7(2), not a formality.
Why this matters before you engage anyone
An unlicensed “agent” or “consultant” arranging a placement for a fee is operating outside a system the law built specifically to hold agencies accountable — JTKSM can investigate, suspend, or revoke a real licence, and a household dealing with a licensed agency has that recourse standing behind the relationship. Deal with someone unlicensed, and none of that applies: there’s no register entry, no licence to suspend, and no clear regulator to escalate a dispute to.
This is a separate question from whether an individual seems trustworthy in conversation. The licence is a structural fact you can check independently of anyone’s manner or promises, and it’s the first thing worth confirming — before discussing fees, timelines, or candidates.
Where to check before you commit
JTKSM publishes a live, public register of licensed agencies, searchable by name, licence number, category, and state, with a separate list of cancelled or suspended licences. Checking it takes a few minutes and confirms whether the specific company you’re speaking to is the licence-holder — not just whether some agency somewhere is licensed.
What to look for and how the categories differ is covered next; for the step-by-step check against the register, see the dedicated verification guide.