Online registration mandatory for Indian blue-collar workers

India has made online registration mandatory for a category of its citizens travelling abroad including the Sultanate on employment visas.

“It is decided by the competent authority that for non-emigration check required (non-ecr) passport holding Indian emigrants going abroad for overseas employment, 18 notified countries are required to register online”, said a circular issued by Government of India.

The countries are: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the UAE and Yemen.

“Indian not requiring emigration clearance travelling to work in these countries must register in emigrate at least 24 hours before their actual departure, failing which they will be offloaded”, said the circular, which is follow-up of an advisory issued in December last year.

The new rule will be implemented from January 1, 2019. Job-seekers with non-ecr passports can register at www. emigrate.gov.in.

“Off-loading of the unregistered NON-ECNR emigrants at the airports would be affected by the appropriate authority,” the advisory said, quoting the joint secretary & protector general of Emigrants, Ministry of External Affairs.

For all other visa categories there is no change in existing procedures.

Launched in 2015, e-migrate is an online registration system for foreign employers to recruit Indian workers. Indian citizens with ECR stamp on their passports have to get their jobs offers cleared through the e-migrate system.

Indian citizens paying Income tax and those with educational qualifications above matriculation are eligible for ECNR passports.

While those without a matriculation certificate need to get an emigration clearance from the office of the Protector of Emigrants of India. “The new rule is to provide protection and welfare to the Indian emigrants abroad”, said the circular.

THE NEW RULE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FROM JANUARY 1, 2019. JOBSEEKERS WITH NONECR PASSPORTS CAN REGISTER AT WWW. EMIGRATE.GOV.IN