Changes and Ongoing Efforts by the Nepal Government in Foreign Employment and Labor Approval
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With the removal of the token system for labor approval for foreign employment, officials report a significant increase in daily approvals compared to before.
According to the Department of Foreign Employment, while previously about 900 applicants from Kathmandu received labor approvals daily, that number has now risen to an average of 2,000 daily.
“In many offices, service seekers are receiving labor approval on the same day they apply,” said Hariprasad Chapagain of the Individual Labor Approval Branch.
“With the token system removed, applicants no longer need to wait as before.
Deputy Director General and spokesperson Chandrabahadur Shivakoti reported on Monday that a total of 3,197 labor approvals have been issued domestically and at Nepali diplomatic missions abroad.
Chapagain mentioned that out of these, 2,122 labor approvals were issued by the Kathmandu office.
Although the new government has implemented some previous decisions, a labor expert has evaluated this as a positive step.
‘We Are Working Extra’
Officials stated that these changes began following a Sunday decision by the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security.
Previously, applicants received tokens and could only obtain labor approval on the designated day.
“Under the former token system, daily approval was capped at 900. That limit is no longer in place. Now, up to 5,000 people can apply daily, with some days seeing 1,500 approvals and others 2,000. The rest receive their approvals the next day,” Chapagain explained.
Officials noted that despite the steady number of applicants, increased efforts have made this possible.
“We are working late into the night. Colleagues stay in the office until 7 or 8 pm. With the increase in applicants, if applications aren’t processed today, we ensure they’re done the following day,” he added.
Additional Policy Decisions
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According to Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security officials, other decisions to accelerate and streamline services have also been made.
It has been decided to provide audio-visual digital materials based on pre-departure orientation training curricula for workers planning to go abroad.
The ministry is preparing to make the orientation training fully online.
Furthermore, campaigns will be launched to include all workers in the contribution-based Social Security Fund, and preparations are underway to fully implement minimum wage regulations, officials said.
According to ministry spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire, plans are also progressing to negotiate bilateral labor agreements with an additional five countries for foreign employment.
“Discussions with Oman and Israel have advanced significantly. Preparations are underway to initiate labor agreement groundwork with three other countries from which a notable number of Nepalis go abroad for employment,” he said.
Officials added that while these countries have been identified, detailed information will be provided once bilateral talks are formally underway.
On December 5, the previous government approved labor agreements with Oman and the renewal of labor agreements with Israel.
Officials expect that renewing the labor agreement with Israel will open opportunities beyond current sectors like caregiving and agriculture, where Nepalese workers are mainly employed.
What Do Experts Say?
Labor expert Meena Paudel considers the steps taken by the newly formed government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah as positive.
“Removing the token system is not a new decision in itself. Even if the government is implementing an older decision, it is a positive move,” she said.
However, she emphasized the need to monitor how effectively this is implemented.
She believes that online pre-departure orientation training would make the process easier for applicants.
“Since people carry mobile devices, availability of digital materials would be beneficial. Also, taking necessary steps to assist those undecided about going abroad would be even better.”
She also stressed the importance of thorough study before advancing bilateral labor agreements.
“It would be ideal to study labor market conditions and whether workers’ rights are protected before concluding any agreements,” she advised.
Experts consistently advocate prioritizing service quality, rights, and protection of Nepali workers when signing labor agreements with any country.
They stress that even if Nepal is allowed to send workers, agreements should not accept unfair conditions imposed by destination countries.
On average, approximately 2,000 Nepali workers leave the country daily for foreign employment.
