KATHMANDU: The Department of Labor has granted a new work permit to 540 foreign nationals and renewed work permit of 537 in five months of the current fiscal year.

The highest number of foreign nationals acquiring work permits is Chinese nationals.

A large number of Chinese nationals are working in projects running with Chinese support.

“There is a large number of a foreign worker acquiring work permit in the service sector like telecommunication and air service,” said Director General of Department, Sanat KC.

Likewise, there is a sizeable number of Indian nationals working in Nepal.

However, all the Indian nationals working in Nepal need not take labor permits. But some Indians working as skilled labor have acquired the work permits.

Citizens of countries providing economic and technical assistance to Nepal are in a significant number among those nationals taking work permits. The Department stated that foreign nationals working in some donor agencies in Nepal have also acquired work permits.

Citizens from 87 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Siberia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have got work permit for Nepal, according to data with the Department.

The Department has started issuing work permits to foreign citizens from the fiscal year, 2069/70 when it provided work permits to 984 foreign citizens. Likewise, the figure was put at 719 in the FY 2070/71 BS, 2019 in the FY 2071/72 and 1472 in the FY, 2072/73.

Similarly, the Department during the FY 2073/74 issued 1,324 (new) work permits with the renewal of 648.

In the following year, the number of newly issued work permits was 1,608 with the renewal of 962 followed by 1,119 new and 862 renewed ones in the FY 2075/76.