Photo: Collected
The Southeast Asian country of Laos has temporarily halted the fresh recruitment of Bangladeshi nationals as workers, the approval of work permits and the issuance of labour-category entry visas. According to the country’s decision, this suspension will remain in force from 1 September to 31 December 2026.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has asked Bangladeshis to be cautious about employment in Laos. It has also advised people not to pay money to anyone after falling for fake job offers or the lure of visas.
A notice from the ministry said the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Laos issued a directive on 9 September. That directive said quota approval, the recruitment process and work permit approval for the fresh recruitment of Bangladeshi nationals as workers would be temporarily suspended.
Under the same directive, the issuance of labour-category visas for Bangladeshis has also been halted. The Bangladesh embassy in Thailand has also confirmed the suspension of visa issuance for Bangladeshi workers in Laos.
In this situation, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has advised prospective workers interested in going to Laos for work to exercise extra caution. In particular, it has asked them to remain alert as there is a risk of fraud through fake visas, fictitious job offers and unauthorised recruiting agencies.
The ministry said information should be verified from the relevant government sources before paying money over any job offer or visa or before making a commitment in any other way. It has also advised people not to complete the overseas employment process through any unauthorised person or organisation.
This temporary suspension by Laos is supposed to remain in effect until 31 December 2026. After that, new information about the situation of the labour market there for Bangladeshi workers will be known on the basis of the country’s decision and the directives of the authorities concerned.
