(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Doha: As part of the reopening of Qatar Visa Centres abroad, the Colombo Centre in Sri Lanka would be operational soon, a senior official at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said.
'We have reopened the Qatar Visa Centres abroad in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The Colombo Centre will reopen soon to facilitate the movement of labour, said Captain Nasser Al Khalaf, Assistant Director of the Visa Support Services Department at the General Directorate of Passports.
Speaking to Qatar Radio yesterday, Al Khalaf said that reopening of some centres was delayed due to new procedures in some countries because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Colombo Center in Sri Lanka was the first overseas Qatar Visa Centre inaugurated in October 2018.
The project targets employment through 20 service centres in eight countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
One of the significant benefits of QVCs is that they allow workers to get detailed information about their work contracts, including salaries, vacations, incentives, and allowances — in their own languages — before they leave their countries for Doha.
'The Visa Support Services Department is keen on procedural accuracy and security standards in these centres, as we rely on a precise security system regarding the recruitment of expatriates, he said.
'In all procedures, we rely on devices for tests, fingerprints, etc., and all results are sent automatically. Also, the employees working in the centres have been carefully selected and have high competence through their training in the state and are qualified to use the programmes and systems.
Al Khalaf said that the visa centres aim to prevent exploitation as the expatriate agrees to the contract while still in his/her country.
He noted that some prospective employees might not agree to the contract, or have security restrictions, while some may not be medically fit either.
Currently, when the applicatns arrive at the centre, the contract is presented to them, and if they agree, the employee must undergo fingerprinting, medical examinations, and other procedures.
Regarding the types of visas provided by the centres, Al Khalaf said that work visas are granted for private or semi-governmental establishments. Family visits, tourist visas, and visas for participation in events and conferences are also granted.
He stressed that the project is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MENAFN05012021000063011010ID1101386066
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.