Qatar has always been committed to protecting the rights of expatriate workers. In a move to ease procedures for employers and to provide more protection to expatriates coming to work in the state, Qatar recently inaugurated a visa center in Kathmandu in the Republic of Nepal, as part of the ‘Qatar Visa Centers Program’, which was launched last year targeting eight labour-exporting countries.
Nepal is the fifth country where a Visa Center was opened after Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India — which have proved to be a great success in providing premium, simplified and more advanced services. The center provides facilities for those who have initial approval for entry visas to Qatar where they can complete the registration of their biometrics, medical examinations and the signing of contracts electronically through a unified channel, and thus saving time and effort.
The opening of Qatar Visa Center in Nepal is part of the opening of 20 centers in eight countries — Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, and Tunisia. In early April, the Ministry of Interior opened seven Qatar Visa Centers in India covering various cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.
These centers will serve in of speeding up visa procedures. Qatar Visa Center operates in a more rigorous and responsible manner. The Center complies with international standards that ensure greater transparency, traceability, as well as the ability to track and improve procedures. The project is implemented in cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All medical examinations and signing of employment contracts for expatriates will be completed in their countries before coming to Qatar.
The centres will enable both the employer and the expatriate worker to perform their role accurately through an integrated recruitment system after employer’s registration on the Ministry of Interior website and issuing the reference number for the expatriate to complete his procedures through the visa centre. This step clearly reflects Qatar’s keenness to ensure the protection and safety of expatriates.
The Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal, Yousef Mohammed Al Hail, said the opening of Qatar Visa Center in Nepal comes within the framework of strengthening ties between the two countries. The Director of the Visa Support Services Department at the Ministry of Interior, Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, said the Qatar Visa Center in Kathmandu provides many services in the first phase, which include, vital data services, medical examination, signing of work contracts, authentication of documents and scientific qualifications, as well as other services.
By opening these visa centers, Qatar is ensuring best practices and customer satisfaction as these centers abroad will enable the completion of recruitment procedures through one channel within a shorter period.
