June 22, Kathmandu – The process of sending skilled workers (E-7 visa) to South Korea through manpower agencies has been resumed. This procedure, which was previously suspended following directives from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, has been reinstated by the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment after an interim order from the Patan High Court. The Ministry of Labour has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting facilitation in the certification of documents and other necessary procedures for Nepali skilled workers destined for South Korea under the E-7 visa category.
The ministry has confirmed that a ministerial-level decision was taken to advance the necessary processes. The letter states that the matter, which previously required instructions from the ministry, is now being handled based on diplomatic notes received from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal and various orders issued by the Patan High Court at different times. With this, the formal channel to send skilled workers to South Korea through manpower companies under the Foreign Employment Act, 2064 (2008) and related laws is now open. The Ministry of Labour has also requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the Seoul-based Nepali Embassy completes document certification and related tasks. Copies of this letter have been sent to the Department of Foreign Employment and the Nepali Embassy in Seoul.
Impact on the EPS System? Since 2007, under a government-to-government agreement between Nepal and South Korea, Nepali workers have gone to South Korea’s production, agriculture, construction, and fisheries sectors on E-9 visas through the Employment Permit System (EPS). With the resumption of the E-7 visa system, some stakeholders have expressed concerns that this may weaken the EPS system. However, representatives from the Ministry of Labour and manpower agencies argue that both systems are distinct and will not affect each other.
Dikbahadur Khatri, President of the Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs’ Association, explained that the E-9 and E-7 visas serve different purposes: “The E-9 visa is for semi-skilled workers, whereas the E-7 visa is for fully skilled workers. Due to differences in demand, selection procedures, and the nature of employment, this will not impact the EPS system.” According to him, under the E-7 category, Nepali manpower companies will obtain demand letters from South Korean employers and send skilled workers based on those.
Labour Ministry spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire also noted that the South Korean government has clearly stated that the E-7 system will not affect the EPS system. He added that Nepal initially proposed sending skilled workers through a government-to-government (G-to-G) modality but South Korea insisted on a business-to-business (B-to-B) system for the dispatch of skilled workers. “E-7 workers are skilled workers, while E-9 workers are semi-skilled workers who have passed language proficiency tests. Therefore, these are two separate systems,” explained Ghimire. He further mentioned that if any impact is observed in the future, the matter can be reviewed accordingly.
