Keeping in view scores of people seeking employment abroad, especially in the Gulf, the Ministry of External Affairs has decided to ease the eligibility criteria for obtaining the Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) stamp. All Indians who have passed their intermediate exam (Class XII) will be automatically eligible for the ECNR stamp.Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed announced the new criteria, adding diploma holders of national vocational training institutes such as polytechnics and Indian technical institutes will also be eligible, automatically.According to existing rules, only graduates are eligible for ECNR status. Ahamed added that people below 18 years and above 50 years will also be entitled to ECNR. He, however, refused to give the date when the new provisions come into effect. ‘‘It will be notified as early as possible. We are working out the details with the Labour Ministry,’’ he said.Ahamed said the Government was also examining the possibility of exempting applicants, with employment visas and an insurance cover under the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana, from compulsory emigration check.Ahamed also had good news for those needing authentication of their education documents for working abroad. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development, he added, had agreed to authorise state governments to authenticate educational certificates of applicants. It was otherwise mandatory for these people to travel all the way to Delhi for the attestation.Now, the state government agencies will pass on certificates to the MEA for counter attestation. ‘‘We are also requesting state governments to expedite the process of police verification as this could help reduce the time taken for issuing new passports,’’ said Ahamed.The centralisation scheme has been implemented in 24 states where 400 district passport cells have been set up.The MEA, Ahamed said, gives Rs 200 per application received at the centres to the state governments concerned. Also, Rs 100 is paid to states for every application received directly at the regional passport offices for police verification.
