DoI issues travel advisory for Nepali citizens travelling abroad

KATHMANDU: The Department of Immigration (DoI), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a 13-point travel advisory and six-point guidelines for Nepali citizens travelling abroad on visit or tourist visas. This advisory was issued in response to incidents of Nepali nationals falling victim to fraudsters and scams while abroad on visit visas.

DoI Director and Information Officer, Prem Prasad Dahal, announced that the travel advisory and guidelines issued by the Department are effective from today. He also stated that the consultation and procedures have been implemented from today.

The advisory warns that it is illegal to seek employment abroad on a visit or tourist visa. Travellers are advised to be aware that if they are found seeking employment on such visas, they will be prosecuted according to the laws of the respective country and may face various problems.

The advisory also addresses the issue of travellers on visit or tourist visas submitting fake documents, providing false information, visiting third countries contrary to the purpose of the visa, getting stranded in conflict-affected countries, and entering foreign armed and military services. In such cases, the individuals will be held responsible.

In labour destination countries such as Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, there have been instances where women on visit or tourist visas have been converted into 'working' visas under the influence of agents. These actions often involve charging women more money through various temptations, unsafe and unlimited labour in collusion with employers. Those who can be employed in the work have also been alerted.

The department has requested that those who go abroad with the intention of working should not go on a visit or tourist visa, but only take a work permit from the Government of Nepal, and depart on a working visa due to the possibility of being sent to a destination country other than the specified one, engaging in unorganised and domestic risky work, and being deprived of social security.

Some Nepali travellers who have gone to various countries on visit or tourist visas have not returned on the specified date. They have been requested to return within the specified date, except in unusual circumstances. As the person is personally responsible for the situation created by this, it is also requested to depart for abroad only by self-declaring the return on time, and to visit only with general information about the language, culture and laws of the respective country before leaving.

The travel advisory states, "Going abroad after enrolling in a university listed with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, but instead, working there illegally without studying in the relevant university may cause problems, and one travelling with the intention of working while on a study visa should be more careful.”

It has also been requested to travel abroad only through Nepali airports, to travel with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) and in the case of women, to take extra caution when travelling to third countries through Indian airports. If the agent demand money with the assurance that they will send a foreign job aspirant abroad with a work permit, the DoI has urged the foreign job aspirant to ask for the authorised document of the licensed organisation before paying the fee.