Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181
Recruitment agency licensing in United States
Licensing authority: This record found no general federal licence for recruitment or employment agencies. The federal rules covered here are narrow: farm labor contractors must hold a certificate of registration from the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), and H-2A employers must bar their recruiters from charging workers. State rules are not covered in this record.1,2
How to check an agency in United States
The Department of Labor publishes a list of actively registered farm labor contractors and their employees, showing certificate number, expiry date and any housing or vehicle authorization. A contractor not on the list is not currently registered.1
Who needs a licence
Only farm labor contractors are covered. MSPA requires a contractor to obtain federal certification before performing any farm labor contracting activities, according to the Department of Labor. Other recruitment agencies are not covered by this federal registration.1
Fees charged to workers
Under 20 CFR 655.135(j), the H-2A employer and its agents may not seek or receive payment of any kind from workers for activities related to obtaining H-2A labor certification, including recruitment costs. Payment includes wage concessions, kickbacks and free labor. Reimbursement of costs that mainly benefit the worker, such as government required passport fees, is not barred. Under 655.135(k), an employer using a foreign labor contractor or recruiter must prohibit it in a written contract from seeking or receiving payments from prospective workers.2
Reporting an unlicensed agency
Workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. WHD says complaints are confidential and that an employer cannot retaliate against a worker for exercising their rights.4
ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)
Not ratified3
Main law
- Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)1
- 20 CFR 655.135, assurances and obligations of H-2A employers2
Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.
Sources
- US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Farm Labor Contractors and Farm Labor Contractor Employees
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 655.135 Assurances and obligations of H-2A employers (4 June 2026)
- Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)
- US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, How to File a Complaint