By Syed Zeeshan Hussain Shah
As immigration policies around the world increasingly prioritise skills, labour shortages and economic needs, Pakistan faces a critical question: is it preparing its citizens not only to migrate, but also to compete and succeed in a rapidly changing global labour market?
Migration has long been part of Pakistan’s social and economic landscape. For many Pakistanis, moving abroad represents an opportunity to earn a better income, support their families, gain professional experience and build a more secure future. For others, it is a difficult decision shaped by limited employment opportunities, low wages and uncertainty about their prospects at home.
However, the international environment is changing. Countries that once relied heavily on migrant labour are reassessing their immigration systems, tightening some entry routes and placing greater emphasis on qualifications, relevant experience, language proficiency and employers’ actual workforce needs.
For Pakistan, this changing landscape presents both an opportunity and a challenge. The country has a large workforce and a substantial population seeking international employment, but it must ensure that its workers are equipped with the skills, information and protections needed to navigate increasingly competitive migration pathways.
Why Do Pakistanis Want to Go Abroad?
Economic opportunity remains one of the central drivers of Pakistani migration. Overseas employment can provide access to higher wages, professional development and financial stability that may be difficult to achieve through available opportunities at home.
Workers’ remittances also play an important role in Pakistan’s economy. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, remittances reached US$30.3 billion during July–March of fiscal year 2025–26, an increase of 8.2 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.
These inflows support household spending, education, healthcare and housing, while contributing foreign exchange to the national economy. Yet the economic significance of migration should not overshadow its human consequences.
Behind the figures are people who leave parents, spouses, children and familiar communities in the hope of improving their circumstances. Some establish successful careers and businesses abroad. Others face financial pressure, uncertain employment, difficult living conditions and prolonged separation from their families.
Migration, therefore, cannot be understood solely through remittances or the number of people leaving Pakistan. Its wider impact must also be measured through workers’ well-being, employment conditions, family relationships and the opportunities available to them after migration.
A Migrant’s Journey: Opportunity, Sacrifice and Family
The experience of Zulqarnain Haider, who comes from Bagh in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, illustrates both the promise and the personal cost of overseas employment.
Haider moved to Dubai in 2011. Before leaving Pakistan, he had worked in journalism in Islamabad and was also involved in buying and selling cars. Like many people considering overseas employment, he hoped that moving abroad would offer better financial prospects.
His departure came with a substantial financial commitment. According to Haider, the cost of moving to Dubai was approximately Rs450,000, with his parents helping him meet the expense.
He secured his first job through direct interviews rather than through a recruitment agent or a personal recommendation. Finding work, however, was only one part of the challenge. Accommodation and everyday living expenses created additional pressure as he adjusted to life in a new country.
Over time, Haider established his own business and began sending money home. His experience demonstrates how migration can create opportunities for people who manage to find work, adapt to a different environment and build a sustainable source of income.
But his journey also involved a loss that money could not compensate for.
While Haider was living abroad, his father died. He returned to Pakistan for the funeral and burial but was unable to be with his father during his final moments.
The experience left him reflecting on the personal sacrifices that accompany life away from home.
“Real life is with the people you love,” Haider said, describing the emotional cost of spending years away from family.
His story captures a contradiction at the heart of labour migration. A person may achieve financial progress abroad while missing important moments at home. For migrants, success is not always measured by income alone; family relationships, emotional well-being and the ability to be present during significant events also matter.
Haider believes that if comparable employment and income opportunities had been available in Pakistan, he would not have needed to leave the country to pursue a better future.
His experience raises a broader question for policymakers: how can Pakistan enable its citizens to benefit from international employment without making migration feel like the only realistic path to economic security?
Changing Global Immigration Policies
The rules governing international migration are increasingly shaped by labour-market requirements. Countries need workers in particular sectors, but they also seek to manage migration levels, protect domestic labour standards and ensure that applicants meet established eligibility requirements.
Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 sets a target of 380,000 permanent resident admissions annually during those three years. The plan also sets targets for new temporary resident arrivals of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in each of 2027 and 2028. These targets illustrate the distinction between permanent immigration planning and the management of temporary arrivals.
The United Kingdom’s Skilled Worker route generally requires applicants to meet a salary threshold of £41,700 a year or the applicable going rate for their occupation, whichever is higher, subject to relevant exceptions and alternative rules.
Australia’s Skills in Demand visa, including its Core Skills stream, links eligibility to requirements such as employer nomination, an eligible occupation, relevant experience, salary conditions and English-language standards, unless an exemption applies.
These systems differ in their objectives and requirements, but they demonstrate why prospective migrants need accurate, country-specific information. Having experience in a profession does not automatically guarantee a visa, just as a country’s demand for workers does not mean that every applicant will qualify.
For Pakistani workers, the ability to understand these requirements before investing money in applications, training or recruitment can make a significant difference.
Partnership Opportunities for Pakistan
International cooperation can help Pakistan connect its workforce with legitimate employment opportunities abroad.
The European Union and Pakistan have taken steps towards a Talent Partnership intended to support cooperation on labour mobility and skills development. On 26 November 2024, the European Commission announced a €3 million programme to support the EU–Pakistan Talent Partnership.
The initiative has identified areas of potential cooperation that include information and communication technology, construction, renewable energy, hospitality, agriculture, textiles and services.
Such partnerships can provide a framework for skills development, improved information and cooperation between employers and institutions. Their effectiveness, however, depends on implementation, transparent recruitment and opportunities that workers can realistically access.
Partnerships should not be presented as automatic routes to employment or visas. Workers still need to meet the applicable requirements, and employers must comply with the relevant laws and standards.
For Pakistan, the priority should be to turn international cooperation into practical outcomes: recognised qualifications, market-relevant training, transparent recruitment channels and reliable information about legitimate vacancies.
The Need for Fair and Migrant-Friendly Immigration Policies
While governments have a legitimate interest in managing migration, immigration systems should also be accessible, transparent and fair to applicants and workers.
Complex procedures, changing eligibility rules, high application costs and limited access to reliable guidance can make it difficult for prospective migrants to understand their options. Those with fewer financial resources may be particularly vulnerable when they spend savings on applications, training or recruitment without a clear understanding of the requirements.
Recruitment fraud and misleading promises can deepen these risks. Some prospective migrants may rely on intermediaries who exaggerate the likelihood of obtaining a visa or securing a job. Others may make major financial decisions based on outdated or incomplete information.
Governments, recruitment agencies and employers all have a role in reducing these risks. Applicants should have access to clear information about visa requirements, employment contracts, salary conditions, recruitment charges and the legal status of their prospective jobs.
Fair migration policies should also provide effective ways to report exploitation and seek assistance. Migrant workers need to understand their rights and the channels available to them if an employer fails to honour an agreement.
A system that responds to labour-market needs while protecting workers can benefit both destination countries and countries of origin. Responsible migration should not be measured only by how efficiently people cross borders, but also by whether they can work safely, receive the conditions they were promised and maintain their dignity.
Preparing Pakistani Workers for International Opportunities
Pakistan’s response to changing immigration policies should begin before workers leave the country.
Skills development needs to be connected more closely to verified international labour-market demand. Vocational training, technical education, professional certifications and language instruction can help workers prepare for jobs in which their qualifications are recognised and valued.
The process should begin with reliable labour-market information. Prospective migrants need to know which occupations are in demand, what qualifications employers require, how much training may cost and whether their credentials will be accepted in the destination country.
Career guidance should also distinguish between a genuine job opportunity and a general claim that a particular profession is in demand. Demand can change, and the existence of vacancies does not necessarily mean that an applicant will qualify for a work visa.
Pakistan can strengthen this preparation by improving coordination among government departments, educational institutions, vocational training providers, overseas employment organisations and legitimate international employers.
Pre-departure guidance should cover employment contracts, recruitment costs, living expenses, workers’ rights and the importance of retaining copies of official documents. People should be encouraged to verify offers and visa information through authoritative channels before making significant financial commitments.
Such measures would help prospective migrants make decisions based on realistic expectations rather than pressure, rumours or promises of guaranteed success.
The Role of Diplomacy and Consular Assistance
Diplomatic engagement is another important part of a sustainable migration strategy.
A senior journalist with several years of experience covering Pakistan’s Foreign Office and diplomatic affairs highlighted the importance of understanding migration as a policy issue that extends beyond individual employment decisions.
Pakistan’s engagement with destination countries can support cooperation on legal labour mobility, recognition of skills, workers’ rights and the provision of reliable information to prospective migrants.
Diplomatic and consular missions can also play an important role in helping citizens understand the assistance available to them abroad. Their work may include providing guidance on relevant procedures, directing citizens towards appropriate services and helping them navigate difficult circumstances within the limits of their mandates.
At the policy level, regular dialogue with destination countries can help Pakistan understand changing labour needs and the qualifications required for particular occupations. It can also create opportunities to raise concerns about unfair recruitment practices and the treatment of migrant workers.
Such engagement should be complemented by effective domestic institutions. International agreements alone cannot replace accessible public information, responsible recruitment practices, appropriate training and clear procedures for protecting workers.
Three Priorities for an Effective Migration Strategy
Pakistan’s approach to migration would benefit from three closely connected priorities.
First, prepare workers for real opportunities. Training and skills development should reflect verified labour-market needs, with clear information about qualifications, language requirements, employment conditions and the costs of migration.
Second, strengthen protection and transparency. Prospective migrants need trustworthy guidance, transparent recruitment channels and a better understanding of their rights. Stronger oversight and accessible complaint mechanisms can help reduce the risks of fraud and exploitation.
Third, expand opportunities at home. International employment can support families and the national economy, but it should not become a substitute for domestic job creation. Investment, productive industries, professional development and fair employment opportunities can give Pakistanis greater freedom to choose whether to stay or migrate.
These priorities are connected. Workers are better placed to benefit from overseas employment when they are well trained and properly informed. Their gains are more sustainable when recruitment is fair and their rights are respected. And migration becomes a genuine choice when people also have realistic opportunities to build a future in Pakistan.
Beyond Sending Workers Abroad: Preparing Them to Succeed
Migration can bring substantial benefits to individuals, families and national economies. It can provide income, professional experience, new skills and connections that may later contribute to development in the country of origin. But those benefits should not obscure the financial risks, emotional sacrifices and practical challenges that many migrants face.
Pakistan’s challenge is not simply to encourage or discourage migration. It is to build a system in which people can make informed choices, prepare for legitimate opportunities and pursue employment without unnecessary financial or personal risk.
That requires better skills planning, transparent recruitment, credible information, effective international cooperation and stronger employment opportunities at home.
Zulqarnain Haider’s experience offers a reminder that the success of migration cannot be measured only by the money a person earns or sends home. It must also take account of the opportunities available before departure, the conditions experienced abroad and the relationships and moments that cannot be recovered.
As destination countries adapt their immigration systems to changing economic needs, Pakistan must also adapt its approach to preparing its citizens. The objective should be to help workers compete fairly, protect themselves and benefit from the opportunities they pursue.
Ultimately, the question is not merely how many Pakistanis can find work abroad. It is whether they are equipped to succeed in the global labour market—and whether they have meaningful opportunities to build a secure future at home.
Are we merely sending our citizens abroad, or are we preparing them to succeed in a changing world?
