Background
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) administers Cambodia’s international labour cooperation and coordinates mechanisms for placing Cambodian workers in overseas temporary-employment programs. The ministry operates partnerships and operational procedures with foreign counterparts to organize selection, testing, and placement of migrant workers under bilateral arrangements.
The governments of Cambodia and Israel concluded a bilateral agreement in December 2025 that established an official mechanism for the safe, orderly, and documented migration of Cambodian workers to Israel. Under that framework, selecting and testing candidates is administered through joint procedures that cover agricultural-knowledge assessments, language testing, rapid health checks, physical fitness tests, and employer interviews.
Institutional Role
On 31 August 2026, Minister Heng Sour received a delegation led by Shirley Raisin-Sasson, head of the bilateral-agreements department at Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), at the MLVT headquarters. The delegation inspected each stage of the candidate-selection process for agricultural employment, including AI-assisted knowledge tests, rapid health testing, physical examinations, and direct interviews with ministry officials.
Key Developments
Both sides praised progress in implementing the December 2025 bilateral agreement and described the operational testing procedures as conducted to a high standard. The Israeli delegation explicitly commended Cambodia’s organization and process quality, and indicated a view of the cooperation as a potential model for future bilateral agreements in other sectors after results are assessed in agriculture.
Operational Implications
Minister Heng Sour expressed a desire for the MLVT to begin sending Cambodian workers to Israel in the near term in line with Israeli employer demand. The visit involved hands-on review of testing protocols and selection workflows that will inform next steps in candidate deployment and bilateral operational coordination.
Source
Source: MLVT public post on its official Facebook page, 31 August 2026 (link provided).
