Doha, Qatar: Qatari citizens have urged the authorities concerned to help remove the ‘stamping on visa copy’ a requirement for hiring domestic workers from some Asian countries to save their time and efforts.
As per the procedure, the employers are required to submit several documents at the Embassy to get the stamp on the visa copy.
The documents include a visa copy of the domestic worker, a QID copy of the employer, a passport copy of the worker, a work contract attested by the Labour Ministry, and an authorisation letter if the employer is not going to apply in person and sending his representative. The attestation fee is QR50.
This procedure is needed after the visa issued by Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and after completing all procedures and steps required for hiring through Qatar Visa Center (QVC) abroad like vetting the job contract, medical and bio-metrics.
The citizens talking to The Peninsula have asked why some embassies such as the Embassy of Bangladesh in Qatar required this extra procedure while the embassies of other workforce exporting countries are not going through these extra procedures after finalisation of hiring procedures and issuance of work permit visa.
Speaking to The Peninsula, a Qatari citizen, Abu Abdullah said that it is not reasonable to require stamping by the Embassy of Bangladesh on the visa which was already issued by the Ministry of Interior after completion of procedures by the Qatar Visa Center in Dhaka. He urged the authorities concerned to intervene in abolishing this requirement to save the time and efforts of citizens.
“I was surprised to know this exclusive requirement by the Embassy of Bangladesh which is not required by any embassy of the workforce exporting countries to Qatar,” said Abu Abdullah.
Sharing his experience about hiring a driver for domestic work from Bangladesh, he said: “When I came to know about this requirement I sent my representative to go to the Embassy of Bangladesh to get details of the procedures and required documents.”
He said that the procedure required several documents including a work contract attested by the Ministry of Labour.
Another citizen urged the authorities concerned to intervene in abolishing this requirement if it is unnecessary or bring about a digital solution to get it attested online without visiting the Embassy premises to save citizens’ time and efforts.
“We are living in a digital era. Setting up a digital link with the Embassy could be an ideal solution,” said the citizen.
During the visit to the Embassy premises, the representative saw a notice which reads ‘Visa Attestation of Domestic Worker (Man)’.
The Employer or any employee has to submit the following documents for visa attestation to the Embassy: (1) Visa (2 copies - in English Version), and printed from the website -(https://portal.moi.gov.qa), (2) Copy of passport, (3) Work Agreement (attested by the Ministry of Labor, State of Qatar), (4) Copy of the Employer’s ID card and (5) Copy of Establishment Card (if the employer is a farm or board etc.).
An operator of a services center commonly known as (a typing center) said that the requirement by the Embassy of Bangladesh for attesting the visa copy for hiring domestic workers from Bangladesh was introduced a few months ago.
According to him, this requirement is only from the Bangladesh Embassy in Doha.
