The Ministry of Labor has announced that the Overseas Worker Identification Cards (OWIC), temporary suspended to issue, will be issued again starting from March 20.
As various measures such as screening of people leaving for foreign countries to work, repairing the software installed in OWIC card issuing machines, consolidating OWIC card issuing centers into one place and unifying the places where the employer and employee make contracts, have been taken the issuance of OWIC card was said to be temporarily terminated. Therefore, those who have been granted permission to work abroad based on approved demand letter submitted to the Ministry of Labour and those who have their own program (skilled workers) will be screened and issued cards.
The Ministry of Labor has also informed those preparing to work abroad to purchase plane tickets only after obtaining an OWIC cards.
In addition, the Ministry of Labor announced that PJ passport holders and OWIC holders will no longer need to go to the Ministry of Labour in person if they leave the country through agency programme or skilled labour programme or on the expiry of leave, but will need to apply online with the required documents and obtain permission to work abroad. The issuance of such permission online will begin on March 17. The list of those allowed to work abroad will be announced on the Safe Migration Telegram Channel and will also be sent to the relevant airports, the Ministry of Labor announced.
