Indians Must Register Online Before Flying to Middle Eastern & Other ECR Countries For Work

Starting January 1, 2019, Indians who are travelling to the 18 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries on a job visa must pre-register themselves on the government’s e-Migrate portal, failing which they will be offloaded.

“Starting 01.01.2019, no Indian emigrant holding Non-ECR passport would be allowed to go to these 18 ECR countries for employment without prior registration in eMigrate, as a measure of extending protection and ensuring their welfare overseas,” an advisory from the Ministry of External Affairs states.

Details on: https://t.co/TwtwD008Fq https://t.co/YDHRiYL1jq

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The registration should be done 24 hours prior to departure by visiting the eMigrate website. Job aspirants should key in their details at the link “ECNR Registration” & follow the steps to fill the Registration Form. Successful completion of the form will be acknowledged by an SMS/email from the Indian government.

“The above provision has been made operational from December 2017 on a pilot basis and it is observed that the registration process is running smoothly,” the advisory noted.

The list of 18 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries is: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the online recruitment portal was established to ensure the protection and welfare of the ECR (emigration clearance required) passport holders who are undereducated and underskilled.

ECR passport holders are those who have not passed Class 10. Their passports have a stamp from the passport office. Those who have passed their Class 10, don’t have a stamp on the passports, and their passports are called Emigration Clearance Not Required (ECNR) ones.

The new rule will help prevent Indians falling victims to bogus job offers in ECR countries, who neither have strict laws regulating the entry and employment of foreign nationals nor do they provide platforms for grievance redressal.

Job seekers having queries and seeking clarifications can contact Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK) in India on toll-free number 1800113090 or 01140503090 (charges apply) or by email at mail: helpline@mea.gov.in, the ministry’s advisory added.