Thirty-seven blue-collar job Nepali aspirants -- one of the last batches of 2008's quota -- are flying to South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) tomorrow and another 12 depart next week.
"These are the the last of last year's quota," said Krishna Mohan Sapkota, director general at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).
Though, South Korea -- one of the most preferred destination countries for Nepali migrant workers -- has already started feeling the heat of the global financial crisis it has been taking the workers under 2008's quota.
After Nepal and South Korea signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) on July 23, 2007, it was expected that South Korea would take some 5,000 Nepali migrant workers under EPS.
South Korea has set an annual quota (from March to February) of 72,000 foreign workers, of which 5,000 vacancies were separate for Nepali workers. For the year between 2008 and February 2009, the annual quota of 72,000 exhausted on December 30, 2008. They will get a legal work and stay permit for upto three years, according to the bilateral agreement.
South Korea will resume the process of taking Nepali workers for the year 2009 under EPS in the second half of March, according to DoFE. It annually takes 72,000 migrant workers from developing countries, including Nepal.
Till date, some 2,605 CCVIs were received by the EPS Section. However, 182 CCVIs were also cancelled. The EPS section also received 2,814 labour contracts. According to the section, 72 labour contacts were also cancelled.
According to the Employment of Foreign Worker-2003 Act, businesses that failed to recruit domestic human resources will be allowed legally to hire migrant workers from the sending country.
Scrapping its earlier scheme of Industrial Trainee in 2005, South Korea decided to implement employment permit system that treats foreign labourers at par with native ones. Now, migrant workers are required to enter South Korea through EPS. The majority of Nepalis are assigned to the manufacturing and agriculture sectors while a few are employed in hotels.
According to the contract between the two countries, after receiving HRD-Korea's final letter with the names of job aspirants, the department begins sending them to Korea. The name-list that HRD-Korea sent is according to the CCVI list. As per EPS rules, the first step for employment in South Korea is the Korean Language Test followed by a stringent medical test.
Employment Information Centre in offing
KATHMANDU: The government is planning to establish Employment Information Centers (EIC) to act as a information centre for job seekers and at the same time provide information on employment opportunities in the domestic market. The centers is planned to be set up at 14 zones but initially they will be set up in Jhapa, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Hetauda, Kathmandu, Butwal, Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj and Pokhara.
Showing posts with label CCVI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CCVI. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Workers' new batch off to South Korea
One of the last batches of Nepali job-seekers from the year 2008's quota left today for a much-sought after destination, South Korea. The 136-member group left under the Employment Permit System (EPS).
After talk that South Korea has reduced the number of Nepali workers due to the global financial crisis, the embassy of the Republic of Korea here recently said that there has been no change in policy at all regarding issuance of employment permits for contracts with foreign workers, including Nepalis.
"The annual quota (from March to February of the following year) set by the Korean government for foreign workers gets exhausted just before the year-end, leaving no room for new contracts in the remaining period, ie January and February," said the embassy.
For the year between 2008 and February 2009, the annual quota of 72,000 exhausted on December 30, 2008, and the Korean government has stopped issuing new employment permits until the begining of March 2009.
"The chances of some 4,000 Nepalis to work in Korea, whose names are already on the job roster, will be revived starting March 2009," the South Korean embassy clarified.
Those who have already received their labour contract from their Korean employers will not be affected by the exhaustion of the quota and thus still proceed to Korea, said an official at the EPS Section under the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE). The majority of workers is assigned to the manufacturing and agriculture sector while a few are employed in hotels, he said.
After receiving HRD-Korea's final letter with the names of job aspirants, the department had begun sending them to Korea from August 10. Till date, the EPS section at DoFE has received 2,519 certificates of confirmation of visa issuance (CCVI). The name-list that HRD-Korea sent was according to the CCVI list.
Similarly, 2,811 have made labour contracts but 160 CCVI and 67 labour contracts have also been cancelled so far, according to the department. Earlier, job aspirants, who passed the medical tests, underwent a 15-day orientation. As per EPS rules, the first step for employment in South Korea is the Korean Language Test (KLT) and a subsequent stringent medical test.
After the government sealed an agreement with the Korean government to send the workers under EPS, Nepalis are flying to Korea on an airfare charge of $970 (about Rs 63,000). Prior to this, some manpower agencies used to charge hefty amounts of upto Rs 6 lakhs for each ticket.
After talk that South Korea has reduced the number of Nepali workers due to the global financial crisis, the embassy of the Republic of Korea here recently said that there has been no change in policy at all regarding issuance of employment permits for contracts with foreign workers, including Nepalis.
"The annual quota (from March to February of the following year) set by the Korean government for foreign workers gets exhausted just before the year-end, leaving no room for new contracts in the remaining period, ie January and February," said the embassy.
For the year between 2008 and February 2009, the annual quota of 72,000 exhausted on December 30, 2008, and the Korean government has stopped issuing new employment permits until the begining of March 2009.
"The chances of some 4,000 Nepalis to work in Korea, whose names are already on the job roster, will be revived starting March 2009," the South Korean embassy clarified.
Those who have already received their labour contract from their Korean employers will not be affected by the exhaustion of the quota and thus still proceed to Korea, said an official at the EPS Section under the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE). The majority of workers is assigned to the manufacturing and agriculture sector while a few are employed in hotels, he said.
After receiving HRD-Korea's final letter with the names of job aspirants, the department had begun sending them to Korea from August 10. Till date, the EPS section at DoFE has received 2,519 certificates of confirmation of visa issuance (CCVI). The name-list that HRD-Korea sent was according to the CCVI list.
Similarly, 2,811 have made labour contracts but 160 CCVI and 67 labour contracts have also been cancelled so far, according to the department. Earlier, job aspirants, who passed the medical tests, underwent a 15-day orientation. As per EPS rules, the first step for employment in South Korea is the Korean Language Test (KLT) and a subsequent stringent medical test.
After the government sealed an agreement with the Korean government to send the workers under EPS, Nepalis are flying to Korea on an airfare charge of $970 (about Rs 63,000). Prior to this, some manpower agencies used to charge hefty amounts of upto Rs 6 lakhs for each ticket.
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