Asian businessmen in Bahrain have called for long-term multiple entry visit visas to be introduced for their families.

The suggestion was put forward at the second open meeting of the Bahrain Asian Traders Committee (BATC) held yesterday (May 20) at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters in Sanabis, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It came amid discussions on investors' concerns about their dependents being denied residency privileges and was welcomed by General Directorate of Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs visa and residence permit director Shaikh Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, who was also present at the meeting.

Under the proposal, traders' family members would be issued with long-term visit visas for a period of five to ten years, enabling them to keep in touch with their elderly parents and children studying abroad.

By law, businessmen are currently only allowed to apply for visas for their wives and children under the age of 18.

Parents enjoy no special exemptions and are limited to ordinary visit visas.

Shaikh Ahmed described the proposal as a 'good suggestion' but said he could not promise anything.

“However, I will look into it,” he told the GDN.

“We know that currently the law has its limitations regarding the parents of businessmen and we are working on that.

Sponsorship

“But as of now, children have the facility to get residency under their father's sponsorship if they provide a transcript from their universities.

“Daughters of any age are also permitted to be under the father's sponsorship,” he added.

BATC chairman Mohammed Sajid described the proposal as a 'major recommendation' that should be pursued as a priority.

“It addresses a major concern related to the misuse of residency status by dependents,” he said.

“The problem is that dependents will often get a CPR and they will go and work elsewhere, which is illegal.

“So this suggestion, in line with the systems already in place in the US and the UK, would see a long-term visit visa issued that would resolve this concern and at the same time help us be united with our families.

“We are investors and this is our home, so our family members have to be with us and we don't have another place to send them to after 18 years of age.

“This is also the case with our parents, who we need to take care.”

Sajid said that he was glad that Shaikh Abdulla had agreed to pursue the request with the relevant authorities and suggested that businessmen would be happy to pay a 'nominal fee' for the visas.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and various ministries. - TradeArabia News Service