EmiGrow / Migration Finance Migration Finance

Migration Finance — fair, regulated, transparent.

Selected candidates can access up to ₹50,000 to cover their RA service charge, passport, medical, and personal pre-departure expenses. The loan is between the candidate and a regulated NBFC partner, with EmiGrow facilitating under the RBI Business Correspondent framework. Loan is approved on job confirmation; disbursement to the candidate happens at the moment of document collection.

Section 1

Why Migration Finance exists

The single biggest reason workers fail to migrate even after being selected by licensed RAs is the inability to pay legitimate pre-departure costs. The RA service charge (up to ₹30,000 plus GST under the Emigration Act), the passport application, the medical exam, and basic personal expenses — together ₹40,000–50,000 — exceed what most Tier 3 and Tier 4 households can produce in cash within the few weeks between selection and departure. Historically, workers have borrowed from moneylenders at predatory rates (often 40–100% annualised), sold family land, or been forced to unlicensed sub-agents. Migration Finance closes this gap through legitimate, regulated, transparently-priced lending — structured so funds reach the candidate at the exact moment they are needed.

Section 2

Product details

Loan amountUp to ₹50,000
Tenure9 to 12 months
Interest rateRegulated, typically 18–20% per annum (significantly below moneylender rates of 40–100%)
Processing feeAs disclosed by the NBFC partner
EligibilityConfirmed job offer from a licensed RA, Gulf employer verification, salary level meeting minimum threshold, valid KYC
ApprovalWithin 24–48 hours of application
DisbursementDirectly to the candidate’s bank account at the moment of document collection from the RA
RepaymentNACH auto-debit, app-based payment, or salary deduction at source where Gulf employer cooperation is available
PrepaymentPermitted without penalty
Hardship supportRestructuring, EMI reduction, extended tenure available for genuine hardship cases
Section 3

How it works, in detail

01

Selection and offer

The candidate completes the standard EmiGrow journey: registration, video profile, RA shortlisting, employer review, and formal job offer.

02

Loan application and approval

Within the EmiGrow app, the candidate applies with verified job offer, KYC documentation, and bank account details. EmiGrow’s NBFC partner reviews through API-integrated credit decisioning, typically within 24–48 hours.

03

Loan agreement signed; loan committed

The candidate signs the loan agreement (with the NBFC, not EmiGrow) with full disclosure of interest rate, EMI, total cost, and repayment schedule. Status: ‘Approved — Pending Disbursement.’

04

Pre-departure preparations

Visa processing, medical examination, and other preparations proceed. The loan remains committed but no funds move, and interest does not accrue during this period.

05

Disbursement at document collection

When the RA notifies the candidate to collect departure documents, the RA confirms departure-readiness through the EmiGrow platform, triggering disbursement. The NBFC releases funds directly to the candidate’s bank account within hours. The candidate pays the RA’s permitted service charge, collects documents, and uses the remainder for final fees, clothes, and travel cash.

06

Departure and repayment

The candidate departs with all pre-departure costs covered. Repayment begins from the first Gulf salary, typically through automated mechanisms.

Section 4

Why the disbursement is timed this way

Candidate protection

Funds reach the candidate at the exact moment they are needed for the RA service charge, with no intervening period during which funds could be diverted or lost to non-migration uses.

Loan economics alignment

Interest does not accrue during the weeks of visa processing. Loan tenure begins effectively at departure, aligning with Gulf earnings.

Risk management

If anything goes wrong between job confirmation and departure — visa denial, offer withdrawal, candidate decision to withdraw — the loan is simply cancelled with no disbursement having occurred. No unwinding is needed.

Section 5

Structure and regulation

Migration Finance operates within the Reserve Bank of India Business Correspondent framework. The loan is between the candidate (borrower) and a regulated NBFC (lender). EmiGrow operates as the appointed Business Correspondent of the NBFC, facilitating customer acquisition, KYC verification, application processing, and operational interface. The NBFC partner is the regulated lender, accountable to the RBI for the lending portfolio. EmiGrow does not lend, does not collect on the NBFC’s behalf, and is not an NBFC itself. EmiGrow is not a party to the candidate–RA payment transaction, which is conducted directly between the candidate and the RA at the RA’s office at the time of document collection.

Section 6

Why this matters

Migration Finance is not just a product. It is the closing of a structural gap that has enabled sub-agent fraud for decades. By providing legitimate, regulated, affordable financing for legitimate RAs’ legitimate service charges, EmiGrow eliminates the sub-agent’s last advantage. Workers no longer need to choose between legitimate-but-unaffordable and exploitative-but-financed — workers can now choose legitimate-and-affordable through EmiGrow.