The representatives of the companies attending the seminar.
DOHA: All overseas Qatar Visa Centres (QVC) in eight countries will become operational by the beginning of next year.
The first centre will be opened on October 12, 2018 in Sri Lanka, followed by three countries in November 2018. The aim is to simplify and facilitate procedures for employers, as well as to provide more protection to expatriate workers coming to work in Qatar, said Major Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhannadi, director of the Visa Support Services Department at the MoI. Al Muhannadi was speaking yesterday on the sideline of a seminar hosted by Qatar Chamber to raise the awareness among the Qatari private sector members, companies and institutions about services provided by the QVC.
The seminar was attended by Captain Nasser Al Khalaf from Ministry of Interior and Qatar Chamber’s director general Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi.
Al Muhannadi said that the second phase of the project will witness the increase of some countries, pointing to coordination with some African countries in this regard, adding that the domestic workers will be added to this service, but the system will start with the private sector workers.
He also noted that these centres will operate based on an integrated electronic system for the implementation of procedures such as medical examination, fingerprint and biometrics, and the signing of work contracts for expatriates outside the State, under the supervision of and follow-up by the authorities concerned within Qatar.
He explained steps of procedures saying that: “The process starts here in Qatar, where the employer or recruiter applies for approval of foreign worker visas based on work contracts according to the applicable regulation through the MoI website or Metrash 2. When the approvals are granted, the applicant can proceed with necessary procedures at the available QVC at his own country,”
On how the system works, Al-Muhannadi explained that after the necessary approvals for recruitment – whether as employees of companies or as domestic workers — are obtained, the role of these centres begins by receiving these workers and registering their entry. Al Sharqi said that Qatar visa centers abroad will facilitate the recruitment of expatriate workers for Qatari businessmen and companies.
All the procedures that the companies would undertake for expatriates after their arrival in Qatar will be accomplish through the visa centers outside the State of Qatar.
