KATHMANDU: In a major development for Nepali job seekers eyeing the South Korean labor market, the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment has formally requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to streamline the process of sending skilled workers through private recruitment (manpower) agencies under the E-7 visa category.

The decision, finalized at the ministerial level on June 29, addresses long-standing procedural ambiguities by aligning the recruitment process with a diplomatic note from the South Korean Embassy, a Patan High Court ruling, and the Foreign Employment Act of 2007.

Under the new guidelines, the Department of Foreign Employment will manage the operations locally, while the Nepali Embassy in Seoul will handle mandatory demand-letter verification.

This regulatory breakthrough is expected to clear past legal hurdles and open up lucrative new employment avenues for qualified, skilled Nepali professionals abroad.