Aspirant Nepali migrant workers, who have passed the Test of Proficiency in Korean language (TOPIK) under the Employment Permit System (EPS) for 2018, will have to start pre-departure procedures this year, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has said.

The department had earlier announced that the process for conducting health tests and other official procedures for the successful candidates would not be held this year.

Of the total 75,580 who registered online for the language test, 68,000 candidates sat the examination in June and 12,108 passed the test—mandatory for the work permit in South Korea. Among the successful candidates, 7,578 have been selected for the agriculture sector, while 4,530 for the manufacturing sector.

Although the process to send the successful candidates to South Korea will start only in February 2018, other essential process before departure will begin soon after festive seasons, according to Shobhakar Bhandari, section officer at the EPS Section under the DoFE.

“Candidates who passed the language test will have to start pre-departure process immediately after Dashain festival,” said Bhandari.

Every candidate will have to apply for medical examinations and police report before submitting their final job applications.

From October 29, the date fixed by the EPS Section, candidates will go ahead with medical examination and seeking police report will begin. The process will go for next nine days.

Candidates can have medical tests at any of the four hospitals designated for the purpose–Civil Service Hospital, Shukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, Korea-Nepal Friendship Hospital and Patan Academy of Health Sciences. The medical examination costs $55.64 (approximately Rs5,570). Only those candidates with a clean bill of health and police clearance can apply for jobs.

“Just passing the language test doesn’t guarantee a job opportunity. The candidates must get through medical tests and present police clearance before beginning a process for a job in South Korea,” said Bhandari, adding, “We will then submit their data online. Their names will be listed in a roster before employer picks them.”

The EPS Section said that candidate’s departure is likely to begin from February once the data feeding, which will take minimum two months, will begin on November 2.

For 2018, South Korea has allotted a quota of 10,200 jobs for Nepali migrant workers—three times more than the previous year. The South Korean demand for Nepali workers stood at 3,100 last year. A total of 3,517 applicants had passed the language test.

The candidate has to reach South Korea within two years of passing the language test. Those failing to do so will have to appear in language test again.

“The number of candidates passing the test normally exceeds the actual demand. However, not all of them are guaranteed a job in South Korea,” Bhandari added.

“So far, around 95 percent of the successful candidates have been leaving the country to take up jobs there.”

South Korea has been one of the popular job destinations among Nepali migrant workers.

According to the DoFE, 48,488 Nepalis have taken up jobs in South Korea under the EPS since 2007. A total of 6,090 Nepalis reached there this year.