Recruiting agencies have to issue receipt to a migrant worker who submits his passport to process visa, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has said.

DoFE Director Udhav Prasad Rijal said all recruiting agencies have to compulsorily keep data of a worker’s passport, and inform how long they would retain it to process his visa and issue a receipt for taking possession of worker’s passport.

“Many recruiting agencies retain workers’ passports for a long time. Workers are compelled to wait for a long time to receive their visas. Many face difficulties to

get their passports back,” said Rijal.

The department has taken steps to eliminate fraudulent acts by recruiting agencies as well as cheating workers. Demanding exorbitant multi level fees from workers to process visa and other documents remains a major problem in the foreign employment business.

Recruiting agencies exploit migrant workers by charging them high fees and promising jobs with good salaries and facilities in foreign countries. Often they make fake documents of work contracts and forget workers once they reach foreign destinations. Fake documents put innocent workers in grave difficulties with immigration authorities of foreign countries. They either put workers in jail, pending investigation, or deport them immediately.

Agencies have started a new devious method of cheating migrant workers. They encourage workers to sign an agreement that limits the agency’s liability to procuring work permits. They put the onus of completing other

documentation work on the worker. Agencies do this to protect themselves from legal liabilities they could

face from local and foreign authorities.

The department has instructed recruiting agencies to stop such dubious practices.

“Workers are made to say that visa processing and job placement was done through other sources like friends or relatives living abroad and recruiting agency was not responsible for their placement,” said Rijal.

The department told agencies to appoint dedicated staff to deal with workers and keep a record of their details. All agency staff should have valid identity cards and prominently display the contact information of the public relations officer.

The agency should maintain a website and regularly update it with information on labour, visas, and immigration, and keep copies of all acts, regulations and government decision in the office, Rijal said.