On 19 October 2026 the government laid the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Pakistan’s National Assembly. It amends the Emigration Ordinance, 1979. Recruiting for jobs abroad without the required permission would carry up to seven years in prison and a fine of at least one million rupees. Liability for illegal job adverts would extend to print, electronic and social media, including the account holder or operator of social media. As of 8 November 2026 the bill has not been passed. For anyone offered a Ukraine “work permit” through a Facebook, TikTok or WhatsApp agent, the bill is a reason to check the recruiter before paying anything.
What the bill changes
The bill text amends four sections of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979. Section 9 already says that nobody other than the Overseas Employment Corporation may recruit, advertise or interview for jobs abroad without the prior permission of the Director-General or the Protector of Emigrants. The bill raises the penalties for breaking that rule and related ones:
| Section | Today | Under the bill |
|---|---|---|
| 17(2): unlawful recruitment, sending people abroad outside the rules | Up to 5 years, or fine, or both; up to 7 years for a repeat offence | Up to 7 years and a fine of at least Rs 1,000,000 |
| 17(4): illegal job adverts and interviews | Recruiter, plus the editor, printer and publisher of the newspaper | Adds print, electronic and social media, including the account holder or operator of social media |
| 19: falsely claiming the government needs workers | Up to 5 years, or fine, or both | Up to 5 years and a fine of at least Rs 1,000,000 |
| 20: emigrant who abandons the foreign job in breach of the agreement | Fine up to Rs 10,000 after return to Pakistan | Fine of at least Rs 100,000 |
| 23: other breaches of the Ordinance | Up to 1 year and fine | Up to 1 year and a fine of at least Rs 200,000 |
The bill leaves sections 18 and 22 as they are; their current fines were set by Act No. VIII of 2025. Section 18 covers forging emigration documents and inducing someone to emigrate by fraud. Section 22 covers taking money for a job abroad without being a licensed promoter, or a promoter charging more than the prescribed fee. Both carry up to 14 years and a fine of up to Rs 2,000,000.
Why the government says it is needed
The statement of objects and reasons, signed by the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, says the Prime Minister’s Office asked in May 2024 for a review to deter the exploitation of would-be emigrants and to prosecute delinquent Overseas Employment Promoters. The ministry consulted the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the Overseas Employment Corporation, the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association and the FIA. The Law and Justice Division vetted the draft, and the Federal Cabinet ratified it in line with a decision of the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases of 5 August 2026.
What it means if someone offers you a Ukraine work permit
As amended, section 17(4) would reach the account holder or operator of the social media account that runs a job advert, as well as the recruiter behind it. Before you pay anyone for a Ukraine job, check five things:
- The recruiter’s licence. Anyone recruiting for a job abroad must be a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter. Ask for the licence number and find it on the BE&OE list of OEPs. A page or a phone number is no licence.
- The work permit itself. In Ukraine the employer applies for the work permit with the State Employment Service. Ask for the permit details and check them yourself, because a scan from an agent proves little; see how to check a fake work permit.
- The employer. A real Ukrainian company can be found in the state register. Our employer verification checks the register, tax and court records.
- Protector clearance. Before you emigrate for work, section 15 requires you to appear before the Protector of Emigrants. Emigrating outside the Ordinance and its rules is an offence for the worker too: up to five years and a fine of up to Rs 1,000,000 under section 17(1). See BE&OE protector clearance for Ukraine.
- The money trail. Pay official fees only to the body that charges them, against an official receipt. In Ukraine the work-permit fee is paid by the employer. Money demanded for a job abroad by someone who is not a licensed promoter is what section 22 punishes.
Section 20 matters after you arrive. A worker who abandons the job in breach of the agreement with the foreign employer could face a fine of at least Rs 100,000 on return, under the bill. Read your contract’s terms on resignation before you sign.
Have a Ukraine job offer already? Employer verification, $199: we check the company in Ukraine’s state register, tax and court records and tell you in writing within 2–3 working days whether the offer holds up.
Where the bill stands
The National Assembly’s list of government bills shows it as No. 116, laid on Monday, 19 October 2026. The Assembly session was prorogued on 30 October 2026, and on 8 November 2026 the bill was absent from the list of government bills passed. To become law it needs the National Assembly and the Senate to pass it and the President to assent. The bill says it comes into force at once after that. Until then, today’s penalties apply, and they are already serious: up to 14 years for fraud and for taking money for a foreign job without a licence.
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Official sources
Check the offer before the money moves.
Employer verification, $199: the company in Ukraine’s state register, tax and court records, in 2–3 working days. To choose the route itself: eligibility assessment, $99, a written note within 3 working days.
This is a bill before Pakistan’s Parliament; its text can change before it is passed. Checked against the National Assembly’s bill text and the Pakistan Code on 8 November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice on a specific case.