Iran’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has launched a new social insurance programme for legal foreign workers, aiming to regulate employment and improve labour protections for migrants, most of whom are Afghan nationals.

Ali Bagheri, Director General of Foreign Nationals Affairs at the ministry, said on Sunday that about 400,000 foreign nationals are currently working legally in Iran, while many others remain undocumented.

Under the new policy, all legal foreign workers will now be covered by social insurance, with Iranian employers required to ensure their employees are insured before hiring.

According to IRNA, foreign workers in Iran are not limited to Afghans, though Afghan nationals constitute the majority of the country’s foreign workforce.

In Fars Province, Majid Ahmadi, Director General of Foreign Nationals and Migrants Affairs, announced the introduction of a new “Kafeel (Sponsor) Plan”, which regulates the entry and employment of Afghan workers. The plan allows Afghans to enter Iran only through the Iranian embassy in Afghanistan under a work visa sponsored by an Iranian employer.

Ahmadi said that Iranians wishing to employ Afghan workers must obtain an official work permit, adding that the new measures are designed to formalise and monitor migrant employment.

Bagheri explained that the policy requires employers to assume full responsibility for foreign workers in the event of workplace accidents. “Every Iranian who hires a foreign worker must take responsibility for them and ensure they are insured before employment,” he said.

Conditions for Work Visa Issuance

Bagheri said that previously, work visas were issued only to specialists, investors, and foreign company managers. However, following the departure of many Afghan workers which led to a labour shortage in certain service sectors the government decided to facilitate the legal return of skilled Afghan workers who are already familiar and trusted by employers.

He explained that Afghans without valid work visas must exit Iran legally, obtain a visa from Afghanistan, and re-enter for temporary employment. These nine-month work visas will not be extendable within Iran.

“At the end of this period, workers must leave the country,” Bagheri said. “After three months, employers may apply for their re-entry if required.”

He added that to prevent labour monopolies, employers may replace departing workers with Iranians or other authorised foreign employees, ensuring that employment continues transparently and competitively.