By Hanthar Hein - Mar 22, 2025
Workers who have legally gone abroad for employment are now expressing concern that they may not be able to return to their workplaces on time due to tightened policies recently imposed by the military council.
The sudden suspension of OWIC cards—Overseas Worker Identification Cards—essential for those seeking overseas employment, without prior notice in the second week of February, has caused considerable difficulty for both returning workers and those preparing to depart legally.
Although authorities later announced that OWIC card processing would resume on March 20, unlike before—when applications could be completed within the same day at the Labour Office in 8-Mile, Mayangone—the process has now changed. Under the new rules, applicants must submit their applications through the post office to the Labour Ministry’s head office in Naypyidaw. Only after approval will they be able to collect the OWIC card from the North Dagon Labour Training School.
“I was planning to return by the end of March, but now I’ve had to reschedule my flight to the first week of April because I have to request both the OWIC card and exit permission. I applied for the OWIC card on March 19, but my name still hasn’t appeared on the list. I’ve already been on leave for over a month, and the employer might complain if I ask for more time. I’m just hoping I can get back to work in time,” said a worker on leave from Malaysia.
Due to these changing policies by the military council regarding overseas travel, both workers returning from leave and those preparing to go abroad are worried about not being able to return to work on time. The added administrative burden has also overwhelmed staff at the Labour Ministry, with reports of delays and confusion.
“They keep releasing new rules and changes every day. Because of that, workers are rushing to send emails or submit documents through the post in advance, fearing they won’t be granted exit permission. Labour office staff are under pressure, and there are lots of mistakes in the approval letters—wrong genders listed, incorrect dates and years. It’s okay if those errors are caught at the airport and explained but if not, the workers will be the ones who suffer,” said a person familiar with agency networks.
As for requesting exit permission via Gmail, the Labour Ministry under the military council has also announced that, due to the high volume of applicants, workers must not apply for permission more than two weeks before their scheduled departure date.
