Work Visa In Qatar For Pakistani

When you first started hiring employees for your parent company to Pakistan, it may have taken months to find the right people for your open jobs and the duties you had in mind. Imagine the same hiring process, but in a foreign company with different employment compliance laws, cultural norms, and more. Instead of spending months trying to figure out how to recruit and hire employees in Qatar, you can choose a better option.

Recruiting in Qatar from Pakistan

Understanding the local culture is one side of the recruitment process. You should also consider some of the logistics of recruiting in Qatar, including the best channels for sourcing talent and your legal responsibilities as an employer.

Sourcing talent is one of the first steps of the recruitment process. You can advertise your company’s open positions online and in local newspapers. As you do, remember that most business in the country is conducted in Arabic, so you might need to work with a translator throughout your recruitment efforts.

Laws Against Discrimination in Qatar

Your company must follow all relevant laws in Qatar from Pakistan during the recruitment process. While the country does not have the extensive employment laws you might see in some other countries, the constitution does have a framework in place to prevent discriminatory practices. The law protects all persons in Qatar from discrimination based on:

• Race
• Sex
• Language
• Religion

To avoid compliance issues, your recruiting team should avoid asking candidates any direct questions about any of the above traits. Some of these characteristics are likely to come up during the recruitment process, but you’ll need to make sure they don’t factor into any hiring decisions.

How to Hire Employees in Qatar

Since Qatar has a large number of foreign nationals, you’ll often need to sponsor a work permit to hire an employee. Globalization Partners can sponsor the work permits for you, but we may need the nationality or work history of an employee to confirm the visa. It’s important to clarify whether you’ll sponsor only the employee’s work and residency permit or the candidate’s family’s residency permits. Many companies will also help a spouse and children get residency permits when hiring Qatar employees.

In Qatar is one of many factors that make this Middle Eastern nation an attractive destination for foreign companies, workers, and investors. If your company intends to expand operations to Qatar, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the immigration process so that you can obtain the necessary visas and permits for all of your employees.

Types of Work Visas in Qatar

A variety of visas are available to foreign nationals seeking entry to Qatar, including:

• Tourist visas
• Business visas
• Work visas
• Family visas
• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) resident visas

For employment purposes, your staff will need Qatar work visas.

Requirements to Obtain Qatar Work Visas

Foreign employees will need a work permit as well as a residence permit before they can begin employment in Qatar. The following documents are necessary in applying for a work permit:

• The employment contract
• A duly completed application form from the Ministry of Labour
• A medical certificate proving that the employee is in good health
• A copy of the employee’s passport
• Two passport photographs
• Any relevant educational certificates
• The immigration card of the employer
• The employment visa
• Biometrics, including fingerprints

To obtain a residence permit, the applicant will need to provide the following documents:

• A valid passport
• Two passport photographs of the employee
• The employment visa
• A copy of the company’s Commercial Registration
• A copy of the business’s immigration card
• The employee’s medical certificate

Application Process

Qatar has a relatively complex process for hiring foreign employees. To begin the process, your company will need to register with the  Immigration Department within the Ministry of Interior. You cannot apply for a work permit before completing this process. As the employer, you’ll need to provide several documents, including a copy of your trade license. Upon approval, you will be granted an Immigration Card and a Representative Card.

Next, the company must apply for a block of work permits for all of the expatriates you intend to employ. You’ll need to complete the application in Arabic and disclose the total number of foreign employees, their job positions, and their nationalities. Approval will be granted by the Ministry of Labour.

Upon the approval of the work permits, your company must apply for employment visas for each foreign worker. The necessary documents for each employee, which are listed in the previous section, must be submitted to the Ministry of Labour.

Employees can travel to Qatar after receiving their work visas. Within seven days of the employee’s arrival, your company must lodge an application for their residence permit. The required documents are listed in the previous section, and they should be submitted to the Ministry of Labour.

Once the residence permit has been issued, the employee may begin working for your company in Qatar. These permits allow the employee to work for your company only. Permits can be renewed by your company on a case by case basis.

Conclusion: Other Important Considerations

Your company should make sure employees are aware that they are required to carry their ID and any relevant visas at all times. Labour officials may carry out inspections at your business, and employees will need to produce these documents.

Your employees should also know that they will need an exit permit to leave Qatar. This permit is issued by the Ministry of Interior and must be approved by the employer.