Online Registration Mandatory For Indian Expats From 2019

Starting January 1, 2019, all Indians flying on employment visa must register with an online Indian government recruitment portal, failing which they will be offloaded.

India has made online registration mandatory for all Indians not requiring emigration checks going for overseas employment to 18 notified countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, UAE and Yemen.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued an advisory announcing the mandatory registration of Non-Emigration Check Required (Non-ECR or ECNR) passport holding Indians through the website www.emigrate.gov.in to provide protection and welfare to the Indian emigrants abroad.

“The said registration of Non-ECR passport holders will be mandatory and required to be completed at least 24 hours prior to the actual departure,” the advisory posted on the recruitment portal stated.

“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.”

“Off-loading of unregistered non-ECR emigrants at the airports would be in effect by the appropriate authority after January 1, 2019,” it said.

The online recruitment portal was established to ensure the protection and welfare of the ECR (emigration clearance required) passport holders who are uneducated and unskilled.

Such Indian citizens require an emigration clearance from the office of the Protector of Emigrants to seek employment in foreign countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, UAE and Yemen.

The recruitment procedure through the eMigrate portal has been in place for ECR category since 2015 to protect them against human trafficking, illegal recruitment and exploitation.

More than a dozen categories of Indian citizens automatically qualify for ECNR status, including income-tax payers, those below 18 years and above the age of 50, and those with an educational qualification of matriculation and above.