THE government of the State of Qatar formally opened its new visa center in Pasay City, envisioned to facilitate visa and employment applications of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking employment in the Middle East country.
The Qatar Visa Center (QVC) is directly supervised courtesy of Qatar government authorities, where OFWs can complete their medical tests and biometric enrollment requirements within a shorter period.
Mandated by Qatar’s Ministry of Interior, the QVC was inaugurated by Ambassador to the Philippines Ali Ibrahim Al-Malki; Director of Visa Support Service Department Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi; and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs’s Ali Mohammed Al Meer amid the presence of other dignitaries.
Once Qatari authorities initially approve their visas, applicants can complete the contracts digitally, enroll their biometrics and undergo mandatory medical tests in one-roof, thus saving them time and making it hassle-free at the QVC without having to wait for the process to be completed in Qatar.
The old visa process in Qatar required medical testing done at accredited laboratories and a host of other requirements that could sometimes take weeks to get completed.
‘More rewarding, systematic’
ACCORDING to Qatari officials, the QVC will require workers to sign work contracts and undergo medical tests while making their recruitment more rewarding and systematic in a manner consistent with the best international standards. That said, it guarantees greater transparency and traceability, with improved measures and security screening mechanisms for visa applicants. It will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
As part of the visa application process, the employer in Qatar will ensure all necessary procedures and make the visa payments on behalf of the applicant. The applicant or employer will need to book an appointment online and visit the QVC 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time on a given day.
At the center, after verifying the identity of the visa applicant and checking the list of required documents, a queuing number is issued to the applicant. Once it is called, the contract terms will be explained to him or her in Arabic and Filipino. He or she can then digitally sign the work contract. Biometric enrollment and mandatory medical tests will be done at the center.
Upon completion of the processes at the QVC, applicants can track the status of their application online or through their Qatar-based employers.
During the inauguration, Al Mohannadi said, “As part of Qatar’s willingness to facilitate the work process and protect the rights of expatriates, QVCs have opened in a number of countries, which include the Philippines.”
The director of visa support service department added, “Medical examinations, biometric-data enrollment and the signing process of employment contracts will be done in the QVCs. All these reflect the extent and depth of Qatar’s endeavors to ensure the protection and safety of expatriates under a simplified and effective recruitment regime [that is] upheld and facilitated by the visa center.”
For his part, Al-Malki said, “Choosing the Philippines to be one of the first countries [where QVCs] are launched reflects the great interest of the State of Qatar in strengthening its bilateral relations with the Philippines in various fields. The launch of the Manila QVC underscores [our country’s] growing desire for Filipino work force, as well as for other foreign migrants to work or live in Qatar.”
The opening of the QVC also assures the constant endeavor of Qatar to provide the best decent life and appropriate work environment for the migrant workers, as their presence made significant contributions to the development of the Gulf State.
Appreciation for OFWs
IN a statement from the Qatari side, the importance of the opening of the QVC is a result of the said country’s policy that aims to enhance its labor relations with the Philippines, as well as the ties among its people, pushing them forward to a brighter future.
“The primary goal of the QVC is to simplify and expedite all the procedures for acquiring entry visas to Qatar, either for work or residency purposes,” it explained.
Al-Malki hailed the decision of the State of Qatar to increase the number of Filipino workers in Qatar, especially as it undertakes infrastructure projects in preparation for hosting the World Cup 2022.
The ambassador also expressed his appreciation to the Filipino workforce in his country and their participation in its development, and then pointed out that the state provides a good environment for foreign employees. The United Nations and the International Labor Organization have recognized the facilities granted by Qatar to foreign workers from all over the world.
Apart from helping strengthen Philippine-Qatari relations, the QVC will provide security to migrant workers and keep their recruitment in check.
The center also maintains robust multilingual information services for the benefit of visa applicants across multiple touch points. Information on appointment scheduling, requirements and steps can be sourced through qatarvisacenter.com, a call-center helpline ((02) 528-2554) and by inquiring at the reception.
2 comments
another type of CONTROL the government wants for its citizens disguised as humanitarian .. how about those who lived in visayas and mindanao?? theyll buy airplane tickets just for the government satisfactions? a lot of them cant even afford a bus ticket from north to Manila.. qatar government doesnt have the decency to give this labors a decent salary.. cant even give a a freakn day off let alone treat them well.. slavery and an arrogant policy from an arrogant government. stop this non-sense.. PH government is also an accessory to this BS.. how about protecting your own citizens by implementing a minimum wage for DH with mandatory day off every week.. i am 100 percent sure.. they will never ever take care of your welfare.. only idiots trust a government
What will be the role of a recruitment agency in the Philippines after the completion of the QVC