KATHMANDU, July 3: The government has resumed providing work permits to migrant workers to work abroad effective from Thursday. Citing the threat of COVID-19, the government had suspended the labor migration on March 12.

With the government suspending the labor permits in the wake of the coronavirus threat, a large number of people who had completed their pre-departure procedures and paid for the overseas jobs, and the migrant workers who had returned home during their annual leaves have been unable to leave for their jobs abroad.

Issuing a public notice, the Department of Foreign Employment said it resumed providing permits to the outgoing foreign workers. Last Monday, the cabinet approved the proposal forwarded by the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) to allow Nepali citizens, including the migrant workers who are at home during job break, to go back to foreign employment as per the recommendation of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security.

“Those workers who came home on holidays and are still left with the contract period are allowed to go for foreign employment after fulfilling all the protocols related to COVID-19 tests and health issues. The workers who have their job contracts renewed and visas extended to stay in foreign lands need to submit the detailed documents to receive the permits,” reads the department’s notice.  

 
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