Pakistan launches online work visa facility for investors

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday launched an investor-focused and interactive Online Work Visa Application for investors so that they can get visas without delays. The prime minister said that the new service would lead the Board of Investment (BoI) towards automation of investment procedures. The initiative of visa on-line would eliminate unnecessary delays in providing services and support to investors and help improve work efficiency of the BoI, he said. Gilani asked the BoI to bring to his notice immediately any hindrance in the process of new investment whether public or private. All measures must be taken to create a conducive environment so that pace of local and foreign investment could be accelerated. The facility of online registration through BoI website and allocation of tracking number to users after submission of required information is a positive step to attract investment, Gilani said. Explaining the online work visa, BoI Chairman Saleem H. Mandviwalla said it would lessen the hassle of long documentation and delays in issuing a visa to investors and they would submit and process visa application online and would also be able to view the application’s status as it is changed by the BoI staff. In this way, investors can work legally in Pakistan for their companies that are the subject of the investment. They can travel freely and stay on a prolonged basis with unlimited two-year visa extensions. He further said that soon the Ministry of Interior and other stakeholders involved in the visa process would be linked to the visa online service of BoI to provide the visa immediately. The features of the new service being launched by the BoI include online services to foreign investors for application submission and processing of business visa applications; new branch; airport entry pass; real-time updates about application status; online discussion forums to help investment seekers and investors; registration of local businesses in online directory; and providing matchmaking services to foreign investors and local businesses. From/ Gulf Today