Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The number of youths seeking foreign employment declined by 4.99% over the first 11 months of the current fiscal year.
According to the Department of Foreign Employment, a total of 722,841 youths received approval for foreign employment as of mid-June in fiscal year 2025/26. In the same period of 2024/25, 760,391 individuals had received such approvals.
The slight decline has been attributed to the government’s decision to suspend labour permits for 12 countries—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel—after tensions escalated in West Asia on March 1. The suspension remained in place until April 20.
The number fell by 17.98% in the 11th month, i.e., Jestha (mid-May to mid-June) of the current fiscal year. According to the Department of Foreign Employment, it issued a total of 61,072 approvals for foreign employment during the review month. This includes 29,371 new approvals and 31,701 re-entry approvals.
In the same month of the previous fiscal year, a total of 74,467 youths had received permission for foreign employment.
Malaysia remained the most popular overseas job destination for Nepali workers during the review month, with 14,192 approvals, including 538 for women. The UAE came second with 12,455 approvals, including 1,915 for women, followed by Qatar (10,210), Saudi Arabia (7,519), and Romania (2,510).
Monthly data show that 68,110 individuals sought approval for foreign employment in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August), followed by 67,972 in Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September), 64,634 in Asoj (mid-September to mid-October), and 73,094 in Kartik (mid-October to mid-November). Similarly, 65,705 Nepalis left for foreign employment in Mangsir (mid-November to mid-December), 62,559 in Poush (mid-December to mid-January), 70,503 in Magh (mid-January to mid-February), 52,944 in Falgun (mid-February to mid-March), 61,819 in Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April), and 74,429 in Baishakh (mid-April to mid-May).
Remittances sent by migrant workers play a significant role in strengthening the country’s external sector. Despite the drop in the number of foreign employment approvals, remittances surged by a whopping 41.2% to a record Rs 1,916.9 billion over the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.
