Govt introduces new requirements for overseas workers

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government promulgated a crucial new requirement that all aspiring overseas workers must now register on the PakSkills platform before leaving the country.

This move impacts the thousands of Pakistanis who go abroad seeking employment, especially in the UAE and other Gulf states. With growing inflation, plummeting job opportunities, and the urge for a better future, many Pakistanis, especially the youth, have gone abroad looking for opportunities. Now, there is a strict condition attached to the path for overseas employment.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has launched the PakSkills platform, aimed at fighting human smuggling and ensuring the safety of Pakistani workers abroad. Compulsory registration would be effective from November 19.

The PakSkills app is free and user-friendly, but applicants need to provide detailed personal information: CNIC, passport numbers, educational qualifications, and specifics of their intended overseas employment.

Authorities have spelled it out: no protector or permit for working abroad would be issued without a PakSkills certificate. The decision is likely to affect thousands of youths who had planned to pursue jobs abroad, and as a result, registration on PakSkills is inevitable to work abroad legally.