The Department of Foreign Employment began issuing labour permit online to aspiring Nepali migrant workers from Sunday. A labour permit is mandatory for any Nepali migrant worker applying for work visa or taking up foreign jobs. 

Minister for Surya Man Gurung inaugurated the system amid a function on Sunday. The new digital service—installed with the Swiss government support—is expected to ease the process to obtain the labour permit from the Department of Foreign Employment, ridding unnecessary hassles for the aspiring Nepalis going for foreign employment. 

The department has created an online platform, Foreign Employment Information Management System (FEIMS) where manpower companies should open their personal online accounts through which they have to inform the department.  After assessing details of prospective Nepali migrant workers, the department grants the work permit. According to the DoFE, the workers can obtain a final work permit a week from the day a pre-work permit is issued online. 

Speaking at the inauguration programme, Minister Gurung expressed hope 

that the system, which has come into operation after much effort, would make foreign employment safe and decent. 

State Minister for Labour and Employment Dilip Gachhadar thanked the Swiss government for its help in putting the system in place. Expressing hope that the new system would ease the foreign job processing, Swiss Ambassador to Nepal Jorg Giovanni Frieden pledged to continue help from his government to Nepal in future.