Uzbekistan will seek talks with the United States on allowing its citizens to work as seasonal laborers, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced at a recent foreign policy meeting.
According to the president’s press secretary, Mirziyoyev noted that the U.S. government had simplified procedures last year for obtaining special visas for agricultural workers. He directed Uzbekistan’s ambassador in Washington to initiate talks aimed at securing Uzbekistan’s inclusion on the U.S. list of countries whose citizens can be recruited for seasonal employment.
The initiative aims to expand access to legal, well-paid jobs for Uzbek citizens working abroad. The president said regional governors will now be required to build direct ties with developed countries and regions that actively recruit foreign labor.
Mirziyoyev also tasked ambassadors with assuming a more active role in identifying high-income employment opportunities overseas. They are to assist in preparing citizens for these roles through vocational training and language instruction. He stressed the importance of signing bilateral labor migration agreements with countries including Japan, Sweden, Norway, Bulgaria, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece, and Oman.
The president again expressed concern over the number of Uzbek citizens residing abroad illegally. He cited last year’s migration amnesty in Russia, which benefited more than 150,000 Uzbek nationals, and instructed officials to intensify negotiations with other countries to help citizens secure legal employment. At the same time, he underscored the responsibility of migrants to comply with local laws.
Supporting Uzbek labor migrants in countries with rising migration flows, particularly in Europe, will become a key responsibility for consular staff. Mirziyoyev also called for simpler registration procedures and fewer bureaucratic hurdles.
The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the U.S. State Department plans to suspend the issuance of immigrant visas for citizens of Uzbekistan and 74 other countries starting January 21, adding urgency to Tashkent’s pursuit of alternative legal migration pathways.
