The Qatar government has extended the validity period for the Multiple Entry Work Visa (MEWV) for nationals of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

This means that MEWV holders of the above-mentioned countries can now stay in Qatar for up to 12 months to align with the maximum permitted work contract period, according to the first labour quota residence period, VisaGuide.World reports.

Prior to this announcement, Fragomen explained that the validity duration for MEWV was only up to 180 days.

Additional Requirements for Applicants & Sponsoring Employers

Although they can now enjoy an extended validity period, MEWV applicants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka will be subject to stricter application regulations.

Under the new rules, applicants are required to submit medical and biometric procedures at Qatar Visa Centres in their own countries. Previously, they were not subject to such requirements.

In addition to applicants, Qatar has introduced an additional requirement for sponsoring employers.

More specifically, companies that sponsor MEWV applicants from the above countries are now required to submit a work contract, including salary details, to the Qatar Visa Center.

However, Fragomen explains that companies that are in the Qatar Financial Centre Freezone are exempt from this requirement.

In the past, sponsoring employers were not obligated to submit their applicants’ work contracts during the MEWV application procedure.

Although the above-mentioned requirements may present administrative challenges for the applicants and companies, the prolonged validity period is expected to attract workers from the countries in question.

Qatar Visa Centers Launched New Services

In July 2024, Qatar introduced new services at its visa centres in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, as reported earlier by the Gulf Times.

As revealed by the director of the Visa Support Services Department, Nasser Ali al-Khalaf, the range of services in these centres now include medical services for temporary work visas, medical test services for multiple-entry work visas and vision tests for driving license applicants.

The procedures at QVC enable job seekers to complete the most important part of the visa process while they are in their country. These are in addition to reducing effort and time for them and facilitating the issuance of residency upon their entry into the country.

Qatar Plans to Open Additional Visa Centers in These Countries

In addition to expanding the range of services, Qatar is planning to open additional visa centres in other countries.

As revealed, Qatar authorities are planning to establish new visa centres in Kenya, Indonesia and Tunisia.