Government moves to review ‘Free Visa–Free Ticket’ policy after pressure from recruitment agencies

KATHMANDU: The government has initiated internal preparations to review the decade-old “free visa–free ticket” policy applied to Nepali migrant workers heading to Gulf countries, following sustained pressure from manpower agencies and concerns over weak implementation.

The policy, introduced about ten years ago to reduce the financial burden on migrant workers, requires employers to bear visa and airfare costs. However, recruitment entrepreneurs have long argued that the policy has become impractical in execution and has pushed agencies into financial strain, prompting the government to formally begin reassessing the framework.

Officials at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security confirmed that a study is underway to evaluate both the positive and negative aspects of the policy. The review comes amid acknowledgment that enforcement gaps and market realities have limited the policy’s intended outcomes.

Recruitment agencies involved in foreign employment say they have repeatedly raised the issue through written and verbal appeals, stating that it has become difficult even to cover office operating costs under the current structure. They claim the “free visa–free ticket” provision has effectively turned into a burden due to inconsistent employer compliance and informal cost transfers within the migration system.

A labour ministry official said previous committees and reports formed at different times have also recommended revisiting the policy, providing additional basis for the current study process.

Pitambar Ghimire, Joint Secretary at the Labour Ministry, said the review has begun as the policy has now completed a decade in implementation. He stated that authorities are examining whether the original objectives of the policy have been met, how it has affected recruitment businesses, and what structural adjustments may be required.

“First, we are assessing the policy’s strengths and weaknesses. When the policy was introduced, it had a certain intent. We are reviewing whether that intent has been fulfilled and what impact it has had on the business community,” Ghimire said, adding that further decisions will be taken after the study and analysis.

He also noted that the Labour Minister has shown interest in the effectiveness of the policy’s implementation, indicating political attention at the ministerial level.

On the private sector side, Bhuvan Gurung, President of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), said the policy was implemented without adequate groundwork and that delaying its review would worsen distortions in the migration market.

According to Gurung, the decision to recruit workers on a free or paid basis ultimately lies with destination countries and employers, not solely with Nepal. “Nepal cannot unilaterally fix such conditions in practice. The policy must be reviewed immediately, taking ground realities into account,” he said.

He added that Nepal competes with 14 other Asian labor-sending countries, and cost structures must be aligned with international practices and market competitiveness. Gurung said recruitment entrepreneurs are ready to follow a time-relevant cost determination system based on international standards, provided it is realistic and enforceable.

Stakeholders argue that revising the policy could help make foreign employment more systematic, transparent, and secure, while reducing the gap between formal policy and actual practice. The labour ministry’s ongoing study is expected to form the basis for any amendment or restructuring of the long-standing provision governing overseas job migration costs.