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Moving to another state for work? Your checklist

Pick your home state and your work state. We build the steps that apply to you, with the official link and helpline for each. Tick them off as you go.

Last updated: Reviewed by IndiaDigital editorsSources

Where from, where to?

My work

Bihar to Maharashtra: your 9 steps

  1. Free, on eshram.gov.in with your Aadhaar-linked mobile, or at a Common Service Centre. You get an e-Shram card with a 12-digit UAN. If you already have one, update your address and work. Call 14434 for help.

    Call 14434eshram.gov.in

  2. Under One Nation One Ration Card you can take your NFSA ration from any ration shop in Maharashtra with your Aadhaar thumb print on the machine. Your family in Bihar can still take their share there at the same time. Find the nearest shop in the Mera Ration app, and file a complaint there if a shop refuses. Helpline 14445 works in most states.

    Call 14445nfsa.gov.in

  3. Building and construction workers aged 18 to 60 who have done 90 days of such work in the last 12 months can register with the welfare board of the state where they work. Members get help for children’s education, marriage, maternity, accident and pension, depending on the state. Keep a work certificate from the contractor or a union. Registered in your home state already? The 2026 rules allow the registration to move once your details are on the new state’s portal; ask the board.

    mahabocw.in

  4. Under the Code on Wages, 2019 every worker must get at least the minimum wage fixed for that work, on time, without unfair cuts, and men and women get equal pay for the same work. Maharashtra publishes its rates; check yours for your skill level. Keep a record of days worked and money received.

    mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in

  5. Working in Maharashtra for a season does not change where you vote. Check your name on voters.eci.gov.in before elections. Shift with Form 8 only if Maharashtra becomes your home. Help: 1950.

    Call 1950voters.eci.gov.in

  6. If your family is covered under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, the card can be used at empanelled hospitals in Maharashtra too. Ask for the Ayushman desk (Ayushman Mitra) at the hospital and carry the card and Aadhaar. Help: 14555.

    Call 14555shamanipur.mn.gov.in

  7. For unpaid wages or a problem at work, contact the Maharashtra labour department (link below) or the national e-Shram helpline 14434. Write down the contractor’s name, phone and site address now.

    mahakamgar.maharashtra.gov.in

  8. UPI and online NEFT are free. Compare the other ways below before paying a shop a fee.

  9. 112 works everywhere in India for police, fire and ambulance. Write your Maharashtra address, the contractor’s phone and a family number in Bihar on a card in your wallet.

    Call 112

Ticks are saved on this phone only.

Sending money home: what it costs

  1. UPIFree for people sending and receiving. Your bank sets a daily limit. Both need a bank account.Free₹0 a year
  2. NEFT from net or mobile bankingFree from a savings account when done online. At the bank counter a fee can apply.Free₹0 a year
  3. IMPSInstant, up to ₹5 lakh. Your bank decides the fee.₹5₹120 a year
  4. Post office money orderUp to ₹10,000, delivered at the door, even without a bank account.₹250₹6,000 a year
  5. Cash at a bank agent (BC) or shopUp to ₹5,000 a time, ₹25,000 a month. RBI sets no fixed fee; ask first and take a receipt.Agent’s feeAsk before paying

Never give your UPI PIN or OTP to anyone who offers to "send it faster". To receive money nobody needs your PIN.

Your wage rights under the Code on Wages, 2019Legal review pending

At least the minimum wage

No employer may pay less than the minimum wage fixed for the work, by hour, day or month. State rates cannot go below the central floor wage.

Sec 5, 6, 9

labour.gov.in

Paid on time

Daily work: at the end of the shift. Weekly: on the last working day of the week. Monthly: by the 7th of the next month. If you leave or are removed: within 2 working days.

Sec 17

labour.gov.in

Equal pay for women

No difference in wages or hiring between men and women for the same or similar work.

Sec 3

labour.gov.in

Claim unpaid wages

You, your union or the Inspector-cum-Facilitator can file a claim within 3 years. The authority can order compensation up to 10 times the amount, and unpaid money is recovered like land revenue.

Sec 45, 51

labour.gov.in

Central rates as a yardstick

For central government sites from 1 October 2026, unskilled construction work pays at least ₹840 a day in big cities (area A), ₹704 in area B and ₹565 in area C. Most private work follows the state rate: check your state’s page.

VDA order 30 Sep 2026

clc.gov.in

Plain-language summary for information, not legal advice. Waiting for review by an advocate. Read the official text before you rely on it.

If a contractor brought you from another stateLegal review pending

Who counts as an inter-state migrant worker

Someone recruited in one state for work in another, directly or through a contractor, or who came on their own and found work, earning up to ₹18,000 a month (or a higher notified amount).

OSH Code sec 2(1)(zf)

labour.gov.in

A yearly journey home

Where 10 or more such workers are employed, the employer pays a lump-sum fare once a year for a journey to your native place and back, as the rules set.

Sec 59, 61

labour.gov.in

Benefits and accident reporting

You get the same benefits, including ESI and EPF where they apply. A death or serious injury must be reported to both states and to your family.

Sec 60

labour.gov.in

Ration and welfare that move with you

Governments are to run schemes so you get ration in either state and construction worker welfare benefits in the state where you work.

Sec 62

labour.gov.in

Contractor debts end with the job

Any debt you owe the contractor or employer for the work ends when the employment is over.

Sec 65

labour.gov.in

Register yourself

You can register yourself on the government database of migrant workers on the basis of Aadhaar and your own declaration. e-Shram is the place to start.

Sec 21(2)

labour.gov.in

Plain-language summary for information, not legal advice. Waiting for review by an advocate. Read the official text before you rely on it.

National helplines

14434e-Shram helpline14445Ration card portability (most states)1950Voter helpline1930Cyber fraud112Police, fire, ambulance1514National Career Service (jobs)

How it works

  • The checklist changes with your answers: work type, family with you, children, ration card, and whether the new place is now home.
  • Every step links to the official site or helpline. State labour links appear only where we found the official page.
  • The money comparison uses published charges: UPI and online NEFT are free; for IMPS enter what your bank charges.
  • Your answers and ticks stay in this browser only.

Questions people ask

Can I take ration in the state where I work?

Yes. Under One Nation One Ration Card, a ration card holder under the National Food Security Act can take ration from any ration shop in the country using Aadhaar authentication on the shop’s machine, while the family back home takes the rest.

Should I shift my vote?

Only if the new place has become your ordinary residence. Then fill Form 8 for shifting of residence on voters.eci.gov.in. A person can be enrolled at only one place.

Can a school refuse my child because the transfer certificate is late?

No. Under section 5 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, delay in producing the transfer certificate is not a ground to delay or deny admission.

What is the cheapest way to send money home?

UPI and NEFT through net or mobile banking are free for savings accounts. Cash through an agent or a money order costs a fee. See the comparison on this page.

Who do I call if I am not paid?

The labour department of the state where you work, or the national e-Shram helpline 14434. Keep a record of days worked, the contractor’s name and phone, and the site address.

Sources

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