Qatar Legal Work Visa for Foreign Applicants

Qatar is an attractive destination of global talent due to its booming economy, which is fuelled by the energy industry, and the ambitious national development plans. The obligatory procedure to living and working in Qatar is obtaining a Qatar Work Visa to foreigners. Such process is very controlled and the responsibility is left mainly on the employer but it is important to know the Official process of Qatar work visa to all applicants.

Obtaining the Sponsorship and the Employment Contract

Any successful application is based on getting an offer of employment by an approved Qatari employer. Qatar works on the Employer Sponsorship system where the organization serves as the legal sponsor of the individual.

The Job Offer and Contract

Acquiring a Role: You should acquire a formal Contract of Employment visa Qatar with a company registered at the Ministry of Labour (MOL) Qatar.
Contract Attestation: You have to have a contract of his salary, the number of working hours (48 hours a week, usually 36 hours during Ramadan), benefits. More importantly, the Employment Contract attestation Qatar guarantees its legitimacy by the Qatari legislation.
Sponsorship Quota: This is applied by the employer to the MOL to obtain a block of work permit to enable them to employ foreign workers.

The certificate of no objection (NOC)

There is a commonly known NOC (No Objection Certificate) Qatar which has undergone a paradigm shift with the new reforms.

Changing Jobs: No longer required in general that the current employer sign an NOC to the expatriate worker in order to switch jobs upon the expiry of his / her contract or upon serving a notice period (1 to 2 months, depending on the length of service).
Exit Permit: The disputable Exit Permit system has also been eliminated to majority of the workers and they are free to leave the country once they notify their employer.

Entry Visa and Travel to Qatar Processing

After your employer has MOL approval, he/she applies to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) Qatar work visa to take your first entry permit. This is where the Qatar Visa Centers (QVC) process usually comes in.

Qatar Visa Centers (QVC) Role

In the case of employees of major labor-sending nations (Qatar Visa to Pakistani / Indian / Filipino nationals, etc.), the required formalities are concentrated in the QVC process.

Medical Screening: You will take a preliminary Medical Commission Qatar work visa examination at the QVC, which will usually involve blood tests of any infectious disease (e.g. HIV, Hepatitis) and chest x-rays to check tuberculosis.
Biometrics: Fingerprinting and Biometrics Qatar MOI Data collection is carried out at the QVC.
Signing of Contract: You sign the final, genuine Employment Contract at the QVC prior to your departure.

Necessary Pre-travel Paperwork

The employer will need you to submit the following documents to the employer to enable this process:

Valid Passport: Your passport should contain no less than 6 months Passport Validity.
Educational Certificate: Attestations of all the pertinent degrees or trade certificates should be done by Educational Certificate attestation Doha by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of your origin country and the Qatari Embassy.
Police Clearance: A PCC (Police Clearance Certificate) of your home country with the Qatari Embassy authentication ascertaining your Good Conduct Certificate Qatar.

Final Issuance of Residency Permit (RP)

After arriving in Qatar with the work entry permit, the last thing is the transformation of the work entry permit to the Standard Work Visa Qatar (RP). This should be done during the seven days you are here.

The Post-Arrival Process

Medical Test: An internal check is performed by the employer in Qatar, which is a final test, in Qatar at the end of the arrival in the QVC, a pre-arrival test is usually carried out.
Biometrics/Fingerprinting: This is carried out at the Criminal Evidence and Information Department (CEID) unless it is done at the QVC.
RP Application: The employer is filing the final application of Qatar Residency Permit (RP), which is normally given one, two or three years long, based on the contract.

Tracking Your Status

You may use the official services to verify the application status at any time:

MOI Web site: visa inquiry and printing in the Ministry of Interior (MOI) of Qatar web portal.
Metrash2: Metrash2 work visa status check Mobile app is very popular in all visa and residency related queries.
Prominent Legal Requirements and Advantages.

Labour Law and Right

Minimum Wage: Qatar adopted a non discrimination minimum wage of QAR 1,000 per month (equivalent to about 275 USD) on top of QAR 300 on food and QAR 500 on accommodation in the absence of the employer (unless supplied by the employer). This will be far less than any visit to Qatar work visa under High Salary jobs.
Age Limit: The Age limit of Qatar work visa in the government sector is usually 16-60 years in the government sector but there is no upper limit in the private sector, however, a good test of the Medical Commission is required.
Skill Assessment: In some occupations, it may be necessary to determine professional competence through a Skill Assessment certificate Qatar.

Family Sponsorship

Once you have obtained successfully your Qatar Residency Permit, you are then eligible to obtain Family sponsorship after work visa Qatar. You will be allowed to sponsor your immediate family members (spouse and children) provided that you satisfy the minimum salary requirement (usually QAR 7,000 to QAR 10,000 per month depending on the benefits).

Final Thoughts

However, the process to acquire a Legal Work Permit Qatar application is extremely organized and pays off to those applicants that are also serious about their paperwork and select good and reputable licensed employers. Knowing what the MOL, MOI and QVC do, you will be placed in an easy path to a successful career in Doha or any other big center.

Disclosure

This paper is merely informational and educational. Qatar visa and residency permit regulatory environment is prone to change, through official government agencies and institutions such as the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Ministry of Labor (MOL). It is recommended that all the information about applications, costs, and requirements be confirmed through the official government portals of Qatar to make any form of financial or relocation decision.