Islamabad: (RightNow) A significant decline has been observed in the number of Pakistanis going abroad for employment, raising concerns about remittances.

According to Overseas Employment Promoters, there has been a 20% decrease in the number of people going abroad in the last six months. From January to June this year, only 317,000 Pakistanis went on work visas, compared to 381,249 in the same period last year.

Experts say the target of sending 800,000 people abroad by December 2026 seems difficult. Opportunities for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf countries are being affected by poor policies.

Overseas Employment Promoters have stated that the NEVTEC testing system and high fees are major obstacles. Workers face additional costs for tests, medicals, and document preparation.

It is noteworthy that in the fiscal year 2025-26, overseas Pakistanis sent $41.5 billion to Pakistan, while the government has set a target of $44 billion for the fiscal year 2026-27.