Guidelines for long-term visa enforced

The government has formulated a new standard to issue long-term visas to foreign investors.

Sources at Department of Industry (DoI) say the government will issue a maximum of five-year visa to foreign investors who meet certain terms and conditions set by the government.

As per the standard, foreign firms meeting one of the four conditions - investing US$200,000 through banking channel; employing more than 50 persons; paying Rs 200,000 in tax; and exporting goods worth Rs 20 million over the past three years - can recommend one foreigner for five-year visa.

Earlier also, the government used to issue five-year visa to foreign investors. “But there was no such standard to issue long-term visa,” Dhurba Lal Rajbansi, director general of Department of Industry (DoI), told Republica.

The standard was endorsed at the ministerial level last week. The DoI enforced it from Friday itself.

Now onwards, the government will issue long-term visas to foreigners only on the recommendations of firms that meet the conditions set by the DoI.

The government formulated this standard after series of complaints from foreign investors. "The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) also asked us to develop a standard to provide visa to the foreigners after multiple cases of irregularities," Rajbansi said.

Sources said firms that have made investment in national pride projects can apply for long-term visas even if the project is in the phase of development.

“Firms that bring foreign investment worth $5 million can recommend five-year visa to five persons,” reads the document obtained by Republica.

According to the document, firms that are eligible to recommend five-year visa on the basis of employment created by them can recommend long-term visa for one person each time they create additional 20 jobs.

“But the Department of Labor should confirm the creation of new jobs,” according to the document.

source: republica,15 March 2013