KARACHI: Pakistani workforce seeking employment in Saudi Arabia is facing difficulties due to non-generation of e-numbers for certain professions.

According to a letter written by Aijaz Ahmed, Chairman Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA) to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, non-generation of e-numbers for certain professions on the MOFA.GOV.SA website is causing inconvenience to the Pakistani workforce seeking employment in Saudi Arabia.

This issue has been ongoing for the past few months and resulted in significant delays in the visa processing of intending emigrants. E-number is a pre-requisite for the submission of visa forms and documents for work visa endorsements in the Saudi Embassy or Consulate.

However, certain trades are not generating E-numbers, which is causing hindrances in the process of visa processing. This issue has also affected the recruitment agencies and intending emigrants who are facing the problem of errors while generating E-numbers for several professions including general labor, construction labor, general plumber, gents’ hairdresser, welder, farmer instrument driver, animal training labor, LTV driver, petrol and diesel mechanic, electrician, cook, private driver, private worker, general nurse and others.

According to Adnan Paracha, spokesman POEPA, the issue has been brought to the notice of concerned authorities multiple times, but it still persists, of which workers are facing difficulties.

“We are receiving several complaints from the members of our members who are facing financial losses due to the delay in the visa processing caused by the non-generation of e-numbers,” he added.

Paracha mentioned that thousands of visas and medical reports are about to expire and it will cause financial burden on the intending emigrants. E-numbers is mandatory for visa endorsement in the Saudi Royal Embassy.

He described that the recruitment agency or the intending emigrants needs to enter the personal information and profession details of the worker on the MOFA website to generate the e-number. This e-number is then required to submit the visa application and medical reports to the Saudi Embassy or Consulate. However, several professions are not in category to get the e-number.

POEPA has urged the Foreign Minister for taking up this matter with the concerned authorities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to resolve this issue at the earliest.

This would help in ensuring that the Pakistani workforce seeking employment abroad does not face any further inconvenience. Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association hoped that the issue of non-generation of e-numbers will be resolved on urgent basis, and the intending emigrants can process their visa applications without any further delays.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023