The Uzbekistan Migration Agency, together with the US Embassy, held discussions aimed at developing legal employment programs for Uzbek citizens in the United States. During the meeting, the main focus was on the agricultural sector, the process of preparing potential workers, and issues related to the completion of necessary documentation.
Bekhzod Musaev, head of the Uzbekistan Migration Agency, met with Jonathan Henick, the US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan. The central topic of the discussion was increasing opportunities for Uzbek citizens to find employment in the USA.
Representatives of Uzbekistan informed the American side about how citizens are prepared for work abroad, the expansion of external labor markets, and measures aimed at protecting the rights of migrant workers. The US Ambassador emphasized that future employees must be aware in advance of the living and working conditions, possible costs, available support forms, and return dates to their home country. He also stressed the critical importance of correctly completing all paperwork and thoroughly checking the visa history of applicants.
As a result of the meeting, it was decided to strengthen cooperation between the Migration Agency and the consular service of the US Embassy. The parties agreed to establish data exchange and coordinate the process of conducting interviews with potential employers. It should be noted that agreements regarding the employment of Uzbeks in various sectors of the US economy have already been reached in New York.
The State Security Service of Uzbekistan has thwarted the activities of individuals suspected of fraud related to organizing illegal departure of citizens to the United States of America and South Korea. Criminal cases have been initiated in both cases, and investigations are ongoing.
According to data from the State Security Service, in the first case, two residents of Tashkent gained the trust of several citizens. They promised to secure G-1 visas through their connections, organize employment in South Korea, and then help citizens obtain documents for permanent residence in that country.
The suspects demanded a sum of 55,000 US dollars for their services. They were detained while receiving an advance payment of 25,000 US dollars.
In the second case, a previously convicted resident of the Kasansai district of Namangan region offered to organize the illegal relocation of a citizen to the United States. The suspect requested 50,000 US dollars, promising to arrange a route through Uzbekistan, Turkey, Spain, and Mexico. He was detained upon receiving 20,000 US dollars from the agreed amount.
Criminal cases have been filed in both incidents, and investigative actions are continuing.
A new regulation has been approved in Uzbekistan governing the employment of individuals who previously held state positions in organizations under their control. According to this procedure, a potential employer is obliged to obtain an anti-corruption conclusion about the candidate from their previous workplace.
This document, officially registered by the Ministry of Justice, is designed to minimize the risk of conflicts of interest. The new rules stipulate that if a state official wishes to work for a company they controlled within two years after leaving office, the employer must request the relevant conclusion from the anti-corruption unit of their former workplace.
The HR department must send the request within one business day. In response, one of three conclusions may be received: positive, meaning there are no obstacles to hiring; positive with restrictions, allowing employment under specific conditions; or negative, which prohibits hiring.
If a negative or absent conclusion is received, the employee's hiring is not permitted. If the decision is conditionally positive, certain restrictions are imposed: for three months, the employee is not entitled to participate in decisions concerning their former area of control, their functions may be changed, and their activities will be closely monitored.
If the candidate disagrees with the received conclusion, they have the right to challenge it either with a higher authority or with the Anti-Corruption Agency. Previously, the Anti-Corruption Agency conducted preventive measures among civil servants in pre-trial detention centers and correctional facilities. Leaders of the Ministry of Construction and the Cadastre Agency participated in these measures.
Following the introduction of an updated procedure for granting sick leave and maternity benefits in Uzbekistan, business representatives have encountered several practical difficulties. During a meeting organized by the Confederation of Employers, participants discussed challenges related to employees working in multiple companies, payment issues for residents of the IT Park, and persistent demands from inspectors for paper documentation.
Thanks to the transition to digital accounting, the number of processed payments has significantly increased. According to the Agency for Social Protection, at the beginning of the current year, maternity benefits were issued very rarely at 15 inspected enterprises. However, the situation has improved this year: the state has already paid women on maternity leave the amount of 4.96 billion soms. Nevertheless, the initial phase of the new system revealed several shortcomings.
One of the central topics was the status of employees officially employed in several organizations simultaneously. The Unified National Labor System (ENST – mehnat.uz) records all employment positions and automatically sends electronic sick leave to each employer, but companies cannot exchange information with each other.
The most controversial point was the established limit of 10 minimum wages (which amounts to 12,710,000 soms) for calculating payments from the fund. Even if an employee receives income from multiple places and social tax is withheld from each salary, the benefit is calculated only within this limit. If the actual earnings exceed this threshold, the employer is obliged to cover the difference. One participant asked a direct question about the social fairness of this mechanism, noting that it puts conscientious employers at a disadvantage.
Another unresolved issue concerns companies that are residents of the IT Park. According to the Cabinet of Ministers decree of May 31, 2024, these organizations are exempt from paying social tax, which means their personnel are formally not considered insured in the state fund. Over two thousand companies operate within the IT Park ecosystem. An example was presented at the meeting of an employee working both in a regular firm and in a technology park resident company. The first enterprise pays for the first five days of sick leave, but it remains unclear who should finance the subsequent period of incapacity for work if the employer is from the IT Park. Official clarifications on this matter are currently unavailable and are under review by relevant agencies.
Furthermore, difficulties arise during inspections. Although the law on medical confidentiality prohibits disclosing an employee's diagnosis, and the electronic system contains all necessary information, some auditors continue to insist on providing paper sick leaves with a stamp. Dilshodhon Mukhamedjanova, a representative of the Agency for Social Protection, emphasized that an employee is not obligated to provide a paper certificate of incapacity for work, and the fund does not require such documents. Nevertheless, HR departments regularly face contradictory requirements from inspectors. In response, businesses proposed that agencies develop unified official recommendations to eliminate ambiguity in the rules.
Another problem arose after state polyclinics switched to a five-day work week. If a person falls ill on Saturday, the attending physician can record the consultation, but the system does not allow for the issuance of an electronic sick leave on a weekend. Consequently, the certificate of incapacity for work is only opened on Monday, but with the date of the first consultation indicated retroactively.
The Ministry of Health was reminded that private clinics also have the right to issue sick leaves, provided they are registered in the DMED system. However, many private institutions have not yet completed this registration due to lack of awareness. Meeting participants suggested making connection to DMED a mandatory condition for obtaining licenses for such clinics.
The issue of payments to foreign specialists was discussed separately. Davron Vakhabov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited the USA as an example where citizens largely cover medical expenses themselves. In turn, HR specialists with experience in the UAE and Turkey reported that foreign employees with residency visas in these countries receive health insurance on par with local residents. Although holders of the E2 category work visa in Uzbekistan are formally equated to local employees, the technical process of assigning payments for them is not yet fully streamlined.
It should be noted that starting from July 1, 2026, temporary disability benefits in Uzbekistan will be assigned on a proactive basis, without the need for applications or additional certificates from employees. It was precisely the first months of operation of the new system that helped identify issues requiring regulatory settlement by employers.
