16th December 2020, Kathmandu
From next year, workers will be able to take the re-entry facility online. This will benefit tens of millions of employees overseas in the path of overseas employment.
After the government presents the facility to renew labor allow online, the obligation to come to Nepal solely for that will be removed. For this arrangement, the amount of insurance plan and foreign employment welfare fund can be paid through the payment gateway designated by the Department of Foreign Employment. The department has entered into agreements with various insurance plan companies and payment gateways.
Workers will be able to pay the prescribed fees through gateways like IME Pay, E-Sewa. After paying such a fee, the system will send an email to the worker with proof of renewal of the work permit.
According to Tikamani Neupane, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Employment stated that the obligation to return to Nepal for legality will be removed after the expiry of labor duration abroad. Workers will get the facility of re-entry of labor from overseas twice. He said, “Those who have acquired a work permit once will be capable to re-enter their labor permit online from anywhere in the world.” We have made a system so that even if a worker comes to the country, the worker doesn’t need to go to the Foreign Employment Office in Tahachal to get a labor permit again.
He stated that those who continue to be overseas for a greater time can re-enter labor online by extending their visa period. Through a bill to amend some Nepali laws, the authorities had amended the Foreign Employment Act to grant two times the facility of re-entry of workers from abroad.
After becoming the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Gokarna Bisht had shown initiative to make this arrangement. This facility has been provided solely twice as the workers may no longer want to return home when they are given the facility of re-entry from overseas many times.
After this arrangement, even if the labor permit is taken, it will be simpler for the workers who have to continue to be overseas after the expiry of the period to get the labor permit. Even after this arrangement, when there is a hassle due to non-re-entry of labor, the situation of no longer getting facility from the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund will end.
