Qatar revamps work visa rules
DOHA, November 30, 0007
Qatar government has brought in new changes to the procedures for recruiting workers from abroad thus regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates,said a report, citing a senior official of the Ministry of Interior.
However, there is no change in the rules for obtaining family visas and residency permits for spouses and children, reported The Peninsula.
The conditions for private sector employees seeking a family visa include a minimum monthly salary of QR7,000 to QR10,000 ($1,921 to $2,744).
Under the new rules, employers will need to get approval for work visas from the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA), before applying at the Ministry of Interior, stated the report citing Brigadier Nasser Jabr Al Atiyyah, Assistant Director of the General Directorate of Passports.
The employers can get visa approval from the MADLSA without names and when they sign the job contract with the worker they need to present a copy of the passport, the job contract as well as the ministry approval to get the entry visa for the worker, stated Al Atiyyah
Earlier, employers could be granted 100 visas to bring workers as they bring copies of their passports to the Directorate of Passport and Expatriate Affairs at the Ministry of Interior to get entry visas and process their residency permits, he added.
"Rules for obtaining family visa remain unchanged in the new residency law and the procedures are simple. There is a special committee which considers family visa applications and takes a decision within three working days," remarked Al Atiyyah.
The applicant will receive a text message on their mobile phone informing whether the application was approved or rejected.
An applicant working in the private sector seeking a family visa needs to provide a certified marriage document, along with salary certificate and bank statement for six months, said the report.
Only salary certificate is required for government employees, it added.
