Immigration
Qatar | Update to the temporary work visas procedure for applicants from six countries
Summary
The Ministry of Interior has announced a new requirement for temporary work visas for applicants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines (QVC countries).
The Detail
The Ministry of Interior announced with immediate effect that all nationals from the Qatar Visa Center (QVC) countries, entering Qatar on a temporary work visa must undergo a medical and biometrics examination in their respective home countries.
Once the visa is registered on the MOI system, an appointment is to be scheduled via the QVC portal, for the applicant to visit the centre in his respective home country and perform the medical and biometrics tests.
As soon as the test results are cleared, the visa will be approved by the Ministry of Interior and can be released.
In addition to the above, the QVC centre is now able to conduct vision tests for applicants who wish to apply for a drivers licence once in Qatar and efforts are underway to establish new Qatar Visa Centers in Kenya, Indonesia and Tunisia.
What this means
Previously, medical and biometric tests were not required for a temporary work visa and the new procedure is expected to increase the processing timeline, resulting in a delay of deploying individuals to Qatar, therefore it is important to plan accordingly ensuring business operations are not impacted.
How we can help
We will continue to closely monitor and provide timely guidance on any new updates announced by the Ministry of Interior and the impact of any changes that may follow.
Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner
Antoine Salloum
Senior Manager, Qatar Immigration Lead
Marilyn Serrao
Senior Associate, Middle East Immigration
Further information on Vialto Partners can be found on our website: www.vialtopartners.com
For additional alerts, please visit www.vialtopartners.com/regional-alerts
Contact us on the following address – me-immigration@vialto.com