Itake it as a privilege to record my impressions for the official website of the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment. The Bureau was setup on 1st of October 1971, by combining together three federal government departments namely National Manpower Council, Protectorate of Emigrants and Directorate of Seamen’s Welfare under the directive of Government of Pakistan. The Bureau started functioning under the Emigration Act of 1922 and Rules (1959) which were subsequently replaced by the Emigration Ordinance 1979 XVIII and Rules made there under.  Over a period of time, the Bureau has devised a realistic, pragmatic and systematic emigration policy under the emigration laws.

Bureau being, a regulatory body, controls, regulates, facilitates and monitors the emigration process applied by the Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs), in the private sector, numbering nearly 1119, besides ‘direct employment’, the mode adopted by the individuals, to seek foreign employment either  through their own efforts or relatives and friends serving abroad.

Overseas employment is playing a vital role in reducing the pressure of un-employment at home, besides being a major means of earning foreign exchange in the shape of overseas workers' remittances. Overseas employment is thus, serving as the mainstay for very feeble national economy, by providing much needed financial outlay for debt servicing, imports bill, alleviation of poverty, development projects and economic activities.

The foremost tasks of Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment encompass collection, compilation and tabulation of emigration date of all those Pakistanis who proceed abroad for employment purpose, only. In fact, the Bureau has been engaged in maintaining comprehensive statistical record of all the migrant workers since 1971, which serves as the crucial basis for planning and policy formulation by the Economic Division and other interested government departments. The Bureau is, therefore, rendering valuable support to the planners to formulate innovative strategies to enhance manpower export for the wellbeing of work force, and to generate foreign exchange for the national development.

The Bureau has been making extensive use of Information Technology to accomplish the tedious task of gathering and collating as well as sharing data about Pakistanis expatriate working abroad, with speed and accuracy.  Bureau’s website http://www.beoe.gov.pk is regularly updated to serve as a useful information portal for the benefit of interested users. Your valuable feedback and suggestions will certainly help us make this website more user-friendly and handy.

Habib Ur Rehman Khan

Director General