THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The emigration authorities here are yet to receive a formal communication on the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s assurance that nurses who were issued visas before May 31 will be granted emigration clearance.
According to sources, unless a specific direction on any relaxation comes from the Centre, only nurses who obtained emigration clearance through its eMigrate system could be allowed to go abroad for work.
The minister’s announcement came as a relief for hundreds of migrating nurses with genuine visas. Even on Sunday, two Gulf-bound nurses with job visas were offloaded by immigration officials at Thiruvananthapuram airport for want of clearance from the Protector of Emigrants (PoE).
Sources at the PoE office here and the emigration officials at the airport said there were no directive on the lines of the reported announcement so far.
“With the new restrictions coming into effect on Sunday, we could accept visas processed only through the eMigrate system. Similarly, those possessing nursing job visas attested by PoEs will be allowed to travel,” Thiruvananthapuram PoE A Pradeep said.
