Kathmandu: All licensed manpower companies in Nepal will now be allowed to send workers to Japan after the government repealed the long-standing directive governing the deployment of trainee workers.
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has revoked the Guidelines for Sending Technical (Trainee) Workers to Japan, 2066, which had restricted the process to a limited number of listed manpower companies. Under the repealed guideline, Nepali workers were sent to Japan mainly through the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO).
The ministry stated that the directive was no longer necessary as Nepali workers are now being sent to Japan under the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) through established bilateral mechanisms. With the cancellation of the guideline, Japan-bound labour migration will now follow the same framework applied to other destination countries.
Following the decision, any authorized manpower company will be able to recruit and send workers to Japan in accordance with prevailing labour laws and procedures.
Officials say the move has effectively dismantled the syndicate system that had emerged among a small group of manpower companies involved in sending trainee workers and student interns to Japan. The government believes the change will promote competition, transparency, and wider access to overseas employment opportunities for Nepali workers.
Japan remains an increasingly important labour destination for Nepalis, particularly in manufacturing, caregiving, and service sectors, amid rising demand for foreign workers in the country.
