Labor migrants to receive expense reimbursement from June 1

On April 4, Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on improving the mechanisms of labor migration and supporting migrants abroad, the Ministry of Justice reported.

The document consolidates the measures announced by the president last week. Thus, the director of the Agency for External Labor Migration is equated to the deputy minister of employment, and a department for labor migration issues is being created within the Cabinet of Ministers.

Labor migration attaché positions are being introduced in the embassies and consulates of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, UAE, Poland, and Japan.

Citizens of Uzbekistan, registered in the online system "Xorijda Ish" (Work Abroad) and sent abroad in an organized manner, will receive expense reimbursements for departure from June 1. The amounts will be:

for work visa processing costs - up to 5 BCUs (1.7 million UZS);
for the cost of taking professional and language exams with the condition of obtaining certificates - up to 3 BCUs (1.02 million UZS);
for buying tickets - up to 2 BCUs (680,000 UZS).

Furthermore, the life and health insurance of labor migrants will be encouraged. For each insured migrant listed in the Unified Social Protection Registry or one of the "social security notebooks," insurance companies will receive an annual subsidy of 50,000 UZS.

From July 1, private employment agencies will be allowed to charge fees to citizens using their services to obtain employment abroad.

By September 1, a 24-hour call center is to be launched to assist migrants, with free calls for foreign subscribers.

By July 1, 2025, plans include launching a mobile application for labor migrants. It will provide information about other countries and job vacancies, communication with compatriots, money transfers, and assistance in difficult situations.