KATHMANDU: A massive crowd has overwhelmed the Department of Passports in Tripureshwor after online applications opened for South Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS), a highly sought-after foreign employment opportunity among Nepali youths.

The rush for new passports and renewals became so severe that many applicants were unable to receive their passports within the scheduled time. In response, the Korea EPS Section under the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security has extended the application deadline until August 20.

According to the EPS Korea Branch, a large number of prospective applicants had already applied for passports but were unable to obtain them on time. The decision to extend the deadline was made during a joint meeting held Thursday between South Korea’s Human Resources Development (HRD) EPS Center Nepal and the EPS branch.

The branch said the extension was intended to ease pressure on the Department of Passports and ensure that no eligible applicant is excluded from the process.
Officials noted that the recent surge in demand for new passports and renewals, combined with ongoing improvements to the department’s system, had created significant inconvenience for applicants.

As a special facilitation measure, applicants whose passports have already expired will also be allowed to apply. The EPS branch said such applicants can enter the details of their expired passports in the online system and complete the application process.

Applicants will only be required to present a new or valid passport with remaining validity at the stage of filling out the Job Application Form after passing the Korean language and skills tests.
Although the Department of Passports claims it is printing up to 1,500 passports per day, the crowd has not subsided. To cope with the increased demand, the department has begun operating electronic passport services in two shifts starting Thursday.

The first shift will run from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, while the second shift will operate from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
The two-shift arrangement will remain in effect until Shrawan 22. The department has also announced that passport services will be available on public holidays, including Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The EPS Korea Branch had opened applications for the Korean language examination on Shrawan 5. Under the memorandum of understanding between Nepal and South Korea, Korea has called for applications for 7,200 workers under the Employment Permit System.