UP Workers Stranded for Israel Jobs: 1,300 Selected Candidates Waiting for 14 Months

More than 1,300 skilled workers from Uttar Pradesh, selected under a state-backed overseas employment programme for jobs in Israel, have been left in limbo for over 14 months, triggering protests and deepening financial distress among families. The prolonged delay comes even as the state government has announced fresh recruitment for Israel jobs in 2026, further fuelling anger among the already-selected candidates.

The workers were shortlisted during the 2024–25 recruitment cycle conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Department in coordination with the National Skill Development Corporation and Israel’s labour authorities.

Selection Done, Deployment Missing

According to official figures shared with the candidates, around 5,000 applicants from across Uttar Pradesh had applied for the Israel employment programme, out of which 1,383 workers were selected after a rigorous multi-stage screening process.

Workers say all mandatory procedures were completed, including:

• English language screening

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training

• Skill tests conducted by Israeli teams

• Interviews with Israeli employers

• Document verification camps held in Varanasi

The skill tests were reportedly conducted by visiting Israeli teams, with candidates assessed for construction-related trades such as:

• Shuttering

• Carpentry

• Iron bending

• Tile masonry

  

• Plaster masonry

Despite fulfilling every requirement, no deployment letters have been issued so far.

Lives on Hold, Livelihoods Lost

For many candidates, the delay has had severe consequences. Several workers said they resigned from local jobs after being selected, believing they would be sent abroad within months.

Arvind, a shuttering worker from Lucknow, said his family is struggling to cope.
“We are told the call letter could come any day. So how do we take another job? Fourteen months have passed, and we are stuck,” he said.

Ved Prakash Tripathi from Sultanpur said his personal life has come to a standstill.
“I cleared all interviews. Marriage, family responsibilities, future planning—everything is stuck because we don’t know when we will leave,” he said.

Manoj Kumar from Unnao said the decision to wait has cost him financially and emotionally.
“My father is unwell. I left local work to go to Israel. Now even basic household expenses are difficult to manage,” he said.

Private Agencies, High Fees Alleged

Adding to the frustration, workers alleged that private recruitment agencies are sending labourers to Israel by charging hefty sums, reportedly as high as ₹6 lakh per worker.

Several private firms have been named in complaints submitted by the stranded workers, who allege that those with money are being sent abroad, while government-selected candidates continue to wait. No official action against these agencies has been announced so far.

Government Response

Responding to the growing unrest, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Uttar Pradesh’s Skill Development Minister, said the government is in talks with stakeholders and claimed that deployment would happen after another round of training.

He stated that around 8,000 workers have already been sent to Israel under similar programmes and assured that the remaining selected candidates would be deployed in phases.

However, workers argue that such assurances have been repeated for months without any concrete timeline.

Fresh Vacancies Spark Outrage

The announcement of new Israel job vacancies for 2026 has become a flashpoint. Selected candidates questioned why fresh recruitment is being initiated when over 1,300 trained workers are still awaiting deployment.

“We are already selected. Why are new forms being issued when we are still waiting?” one protester asked.

Unanswered Questions

With no official deployment schedule, many workers fear they may eventually be dropped silently from the list. As months pass, skills risk stagnation, savings are exhausted, and families sink deeper into debt.

For now, the 1,300 selected workers remain caught between promises and uncertainty, waiting for a call that was supposed to change their lives.