Hey Guys,
I was wondering if any H1-B guys just came from NEpal. I heard you have to take some kinda document from Ministry Of Labor. I heard they make really hard for you to get that documents even after you get the Visa and everything. If anyone out there had similar situation or any helpful suggestions please post it here. Thanks.

I came back here on end of May this year. They did ask me the paper fom Ministry of Labor. I thought they were just giving me hard time. The officer told to talk to his manager after reviewing my PP and I-797 and the manager told me that i supposed to bring the document from Labor. I said i did not know anything about it and told him this is my 4th trip going to US with H1. He then gave me permission to pass through. It seems now that H1-b visa holder require to obtain documentation from Labor.

This is just one of the many stupid laws we have in Nepal. The only primary purpose of this law is to fill in the pocktes of those who work under the Ministry of Labor.

One of friends was rejected from taking his plane when he did not have a permission from Ministry of Labor. He had to run to the Ministry of Department to get the permission and then borded the next flight which caused him double the expense. The permission is nothing but a small sticker that is stuck on your passport after paying Rs500. Make sure to obtain the permission to work in US from Nepal before leaving Nepal. Ministry of Labor is located in Teku.

I still don't understand why one needs to get a permission from Nepal to work in US when US has given all such permission. This is just like "khutta tanne bato" or " easily Rs500 kamaune bato."

My friend went there and now when she went to get that document from ministry of labor. They said she needs a letter from the employer saying she only works 40 hrs a week and she doesn't work on weekends. Now after she gets that stuff.. they said she needs to take the insurance from Nepal which costs about 1 lakh Rupees. When she said she has the insurance from the employer they said they don't know about it and said they wont give her that documents unless she gets that insurance or give them Rs 7000 "ghoosh". Now she is really worried. Do you guys have any suggetion about the thing that she can do at this circumstances. Any help will be highly appreciated. Thank You.

WTF.

Are those modafakers really that bad? Who am i kidding?

If your friend has all the documents, can she not be fierce and complain in police as well as inform some creditible news media? What is the lead time the ministry demands for them to issue the certificate? They can not hold it after that. But again, it is Nepal ko bureaucracy. Jo aye ni tyastai.

Paying Rs. 500 for the clearance is not an issue. Alik govt. lai revenue ni huncha and does not burn a hole in our pocket. But this kind of acts really tests the patience.

I guess that department will me a milking spot for those assholes aba. Yesto chala le ta bhena yaar. Jai hoss

i was in nepal 6 months back and didn't have any problem coming back .... manchey ko size dhekhera sodheny aant nagareko hola :=)

seriously guys, do we really need document from Ministry of Labor? I may be making another trip soon and want to know ahead. Thanks :=)

AX gaunle--As far as I understand, yes, you do. I think the idea was for the Nepali labor dept to be able to keep track of nepalis going overseas (mainly the gulf, SE asia) for work (particulary made important after the sept 1 '04 disaster)...i think there's some value to it...even though it doesn't make much pragmatic sense to us working in the West. i wasn't aware of this new requirement, and was stopped before boarding the plane...it was embarassing (well you know why!!) and i felt bad for having not obtained the labor dept's clearance... but then the shift manager listened to my plea and let me+ through... :-) a success story, eh! :-D

May be this address would be helpful in solving this problem,,i guess they have been pretty active in the past..
=====================================

Contact Us

Postal Address:
Commission for the Investigation of
Abuse of Authority,
P.O. Box No. 9996
Babarmahal, Kathmandu
Nepal.

Tel: 4262842, 4262801, 4262802,4262515

Fax: 4262930, 4263634 for web help

E-mail: akhtiyar@ntc.net.np

Email for Media : ciaapress@ntc.net.np
==========================

HI ECHOES
Do you mean the shift manager at airport? Is this document manadatory or just some shit?
I dont think this document holds any value for anyone,,otherwise they would not have let you thru without it.If it were sth like an I20 no one will let you thru without it..

Aint there any place to file complaints and put an end to this kind of bullshit?

bijayas,
yes. the manager at the airport. he was nice and understanding. you are right that it is more of a pain for us than it is worth, but i think it is helpful for the nepali govt to keep track of who's going where (remember the killings of the nepalis in Iraq) so that they can take measures to avoid abuse... particulary now that there're hundreds of thousands of nepalis working all kinds of jobs in the Gulf, southeast asia, etc. i wish they could make an exception in the law for the workers in the West who are more or less guaranteed a fair job/pay/environment, but they haven't. i agree, for us it has little value..

but i suggest that you obtain the labor department's approval. it just makes the whole thing simpler and helps avoid potentially having to return from the airport like some said they had to.

Ubiquitos jeee, don't worry. I too had the same problem. The employment letter didnot mention about the working hours even though it said " full time placement". The corrupt officials said they won't give me permit unless I get another letter( should be original, faxed ones are considered invalid ).Then I went to a local art shop in Bagbazaar, made a false but exactly same letter ( worth only Nrs 100) signed by myself and I got permission the next day.TIT FOR TAT!!

Insurance ra medical certificate lai problem chhaina ho...tyaha bahira basne dalal harule milaidinchhan NRs 1000 jati parchha..

i was in nepal three years ago on h1b. while returning, after staying in the VERY long line for about an hour, when my turn came to show them the passport/visa the smart ass asked me "shram mantralaya ko anumati chha?" i was like... what the f***? i told him i work in the US and have all the US documents if he wants to see them. but he did not and just let me go. if the nepal government wants nepalese to obey rules, then first they need to be clear about it and inform everyone appropriately thru website, embassy and info cards while entering nepal.

thank god that my h1b days are over :)

can anyone send me scanned copy of that shit from shram mantralaya?? ( with your identity wiped off) I try make a copy of that shit myself,,,,govt office ko chor haru atti difficult to bear...suk my ---k bhanera aauna maan lagcha

This is what actually happened to my cousin to be exact.
He went to the airport to board a RNA flight leaving at 9 am on Friday morning so that we could get back to work on Monday here in US. When he went to the final immigration desk, he was stopped and asked for the ?Shram Sukriti? (Permission from labor department). And I do not understand why you need to go through immigration even before leaving the country in Nepal, while in most other countries only the arriving passengers have to go through it. Anyway, when he told them that he got his H1B just few days ago and that he has been working in US for the last 2 years and has all the documents from US government that allows him to work in the US, the immigration officer just handed him his passport back and said ?You cannot leave today,? and then got up and started walking off. He tried to stop this officer and asked told him that he was not informed by anyone in US embassy or in the immigration desk when he arrived in Nepal to get such permission. The officer told him that it was his duty to find out what he needed before leaving the country. My cousin according to him at this time started panicking because his flight was leaving in less than an hour and his parents had just left him in the airport and were heading back home. When he started pleading and asking if there was anyway he could leave that day since his vacation time would be over on Sunday and that he absolutely needed to get back to work on Monday, he was directed towards the officer?s boss who seemed even more rude for he said ?Tapai kati parra jana saknu huncha janus ta. Hami pani herchau. Tapai lai typ dhoka ma rokena bhane hami pani herchau,? when my cousin started heading off to the final lounge. By this time, people had gathered around them (both the officials working there and the passengers, as you know how curious people are in Nepal) as it got heated up, and everyone including the army guards had come to know what had happened.
So my cousin ran downstairs and called his parents from there as by now only about half an hour was left before the plane took off. Luckily his dad was still in the airport waiting to leave until his flight took off. He explained what had happened. His dad with some powerful connections started calling people to see what could be done. Somehow the message reached up to the head of police force that was stationed in the airport and he was asked to talk with the head of immigration officer in the airport to see if my cousin could leave the country. The immigration officer told the police officer that by now everyone in the airport including the army guards had known what had happened and that if he let my cousin leave, he would get fired.
So nothing worked and my cousin hurried to Shram Karyalaya in Teku to get the permission. The officer in Teku office told my cousin and his parents that this procedure usually takes few days but since his dad had some connection, it was done right away. From there they went to a travel agency to buy a new ticket. Mind you that calling to the travel agency and letting the officer in Teku office know about the situation was all done behind the scene already during the drive back from the airport to Teku. So anyway, the travel agent said that there was a Thai Airlines flight that was leaving in few hours and that the only ticket left was of Business class. Since my cousin had no choice and his boss was expecting to be at work on following Monday morning, he had to buy this very expensive one way ticket, and fly back to US.
So his is the story according to his words.

Now my concern is, my cousin comes from a well off family with some powerful connection. Due to these reasons he was able to get back to US on time. Think about a poor nepali who doesn?t have enough money to buy another ticket or doesn?t have connection to get the permission from labor on the same day. His or her life would be ruined as he/she may well get fired from work in US for not showing up at work on time.
Should not someone in the US visa section or the immigration desk in the arrival inform people that they need such permission before leaving the country? Rules in Nepal change everyday, and how is someone expected to know all those when the people responsible don?t do the job to inform? If it is the duty of the person to find out about the rule, should he/she next time go around checking if paying phone bill or electricity bill is also in the rule? This is absolutely ridiculous if not stupid. And why would Nepal need to give permission to its citizen to work in a foreign country when the foreign country has given all such permission? From my point of view, this is just a way to make life harder in Nepal if it already isn?t hard enough. Instead of being happy that the citizens from your country are getting jobs in other countries in competitive markets, they try to keep them back. This is a very good example of ?Khutta Tanne,? attitude in our culture.

We just got back from Nepal about 2 weeks ago and didn't know about all this until day. Nope we were not asked for any additional papers from the Labor Ministry. Don't know if we were just lucky or the guy there didn't know.

I returned to US on third week of Oct. 2005 and i wan not asked for any document from ministry of labor. I never heard about it before.

well, that's how things are done in nepal. for all of us living in the US or western nations, we have been used to the systematic life here. we are used to quality customer service, good attitude, and courteous behavior. sadly, nepal has not changed. one can only hope that such ways of giving a hard time to departing passengers will not change those passengers' minds about making frequent trips to nepal.

Can F2 Visa holders apply and get approved for Green Card directly if he/she has a decent job offer or sponsor? If yes what is the chance of getting and how to go?? Pls advise..