DoFE ends token system, promises one-day labor approval

KATHMANDU: The Department of Foreign Employment has officially scrapped its token system, introducing a one-day approval process for labor permits, the department announced on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference, Director General Mira Acharya said the move aims to make foreign employment safer, more organized, and transparent, while protecting the rights of Nepali workers under the current government.

Acharya highlighted that the department issued a notice on Chaitra 15 (March 29) warning that any foreign employment-related activities conducted without a license under Section 10 of the Foreign Employment Act, 2064, would face legal action.

Addressing longstanding complaints from workers, Acharya said the department has requested licensed manpower companies to provide interview forms in Nepali or bilingual (Nepali-English) format, as forms in English only forced many workers to sign without understanding them. Failure to comply will result in legal penalties.

The department also issued a notice on Chaitra 16 (March 30) cautioning that activities claiming to rescue workers in distress without proper authorization are illegal under the Foreign Employment Act.

Acharya clarified key reforms:

• Orientation training fees are capped at Rs 700; providers charging higher amounts will automatically lose their license.
• CCTV cameras have been installed in staff offices for transparent monitoring, supervised directly from the Director General’s office in line with Chief Secretary directives.
• A software system is under development to track all registered cases online, including foreign employment fraud cases filed at district administration offices.
• A proposal to amend the Foreign Employment Act, 2064 has been submitted to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security.

The department’s monitoring branch has already returned funds to victims in the current fiscal year:

• Poush: 19 passports and Rs 2,010,000 refunded
• Magh: 7 passports and Rs 548,000 refunded
• Falgun: 6 passports and Rs 500,000 refunded

Acharya also said the department will require additional staff to resolve cases more efficiently. Starting Chaitra 20 (April 3), the department will publish the details of newly registered cases—including defendant names, addresses, and amounts—on its website every three days.

In a crackdown on fraudulent practices, Maitri Overseas Pvt. Ltd. was warned for promoting services beyond approved limits, while Apex HR Consultancy had 333 passports confiscated.

Following evidence of fraud, the company’s operations were suspended and fined Rs 50,000, and two affected individuals received Rs 190,000 each in compensation.