| IMMIGRATION
PROCEDURES
REVISED BUSINESS VISA POLICY TO BUSINESSMEN OF
COUNTRIES OF LIST-A
To facilitate travel to and staying in Pakistan
for foreign businesspersons and investors, business visa
policies have been considerably relaxed. Missions abroad
can issue up to five years multiple business visa (non-reporting)
within 24 hours to businessmen of countries of list-‘A'
on production of any of the following documents:-
• Recommendation letter from CC&I of the respective
country of the foreigner.
• Invitation letter from Business organization duly
recommended by the concerned Trade Organization/ Association,
in Pakistan .
• Recommendatory letter by Honorary Investment Counsellors
of BOI.
• Recommendatory letter from Pakistani Commercial
officers posted in Pakistan High Commissions / Embassies
/ Consulates General abroad.
COUNTRIES OF LIST-A
ENTRY VISA TO BUSINESSMEN OF COUNTRIES BESIDES
THOSE IN ‘A' LIST
Missions are authorized to issued entry visa for one month
to Genuine Businessmen of countries besides those in ‘A'
list (except those countries not recognized by Pakistan)
from applicant's own country or place of legal residence
by Ambassador/High Commissioner/Head of Mission only on
the following criteria:-
• The applicant belongs to Company of International
repute. And / or
• Fulfills the criteria laid down for List ‘A'
country in respect of valid sponsorship from Pakistan .
VISA ON ARRIVAL (VOA) NON REPORTING TO THE FOREIGN INVESTORS/BUSINESSMEN
Genuine businessmen from following developed countries
will be allowed Visa On Arrival (VOA) non-reporting for
30 days on production of any of the following documents:-
• Recommendation letter from CC&I of the respective
country of the foreigner.
• Invitation letter from Business organization duly
recommended by the concerned Trade Organization/Association,
in Pakistan .
• Recommendatory letter by Honorary Investment Counsellors
of BOI.
• Recommendatory letter from Pakistani Commercial
officers posted in Pakistan High Commissions / Embassies
/ Consulates General abroad.
Click For VISA FEE BEING CHARGED BY FOREIGN MISSIONS IN
ISLAMABAD FROM PAKISTANIS ENHANCEMENTS IN THE NEW POLICY
Work Visa Procedures
A uniform facility has been extended to exempt technical
and managerial personnel from work permit for the newly
opeaned sectors of the economy, including Agriculture, Service
and Social Sectors, in addition to exemption already enjoyed
by such personnel for working in the manufacturing/industrial
and infrastructure sectors. They are now only required to
obtain work visas.
Work visas will be granted to foreign technical and managerial
personnel for the purpose of transferring skills and know-how.
These visas will be granted subject to a constructive plan
to train Pakistani personnel to take over the technical
and managerial responsibilities over a reasonable period
of time.
A Committee under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of BOI
periodically considers and decides the cases of granting
or extending work visas to foreign personnel. Companies
requiring employment of foreign nationals or extension in
their visa should submit the request on the prescribed application
form (see Annex-XIX) to the Board of Investment (FTP Wing)
Islamabad. The prescribed form can be obtained from the
offices of the Board of Investment Islamabad, Karachi and
also from the web-site of BOI (www.pakboi.gov.pk) Work visas
will be authorised and issued by the Ministry of Interior
on the basis of the decision of the Committee.
The work visa may be issued for a period up to 5 years or
for the life of the applicant's passport. The concerned
Pakistani Mission abroad will grant work visas to the applicant
whereas extension in work visa will be endorsed by the Regional
Passport Office of the city where the expatriate is working
upon authorization by the Ministry of Interior.
In case of multiple entry visas, the number of entries will
not be restricted.
IMPOSITION OF ‘OVERSTAY SURCHARGE’ ON
FOREIGNERS
(a) All Foreign Nationals
Period
of Overstay |
Overstay Surcharge |
Note
• All powers of externment etc. available with MOI
will apply in addition to the above surcharge.
• No surcharge shall be payable in case of holders
of diplomatic passports.
(b) Foreigners of Pak Origin
Period of Overstay Overstay Surcharge
Up to one month -
above 1 month to 6 months US $ 10/-
above 6 months to 1 year US $ 20/-
Beyond 1 year US $ 40/- per year
Note
• All powers of externment etc. available with MOI
will apply in addition to the above surcharge.
• No surcharge shall be payable in case of children
up to 12 years of age.
• 50% surcharge shall be payable in case of children
up to 18 years of age.
(c) Indian Nationals
Rs. 20/- per day shall be charged for any period of overstay.
The above schedule of surcharge shall be effective after
one month of amnesty from the date of publication of this
notice. During amnesty period, visa extension will be allowed
on payment of normal visa fee and thereafter all extensions
in visa will be subject to payment of surcharge as per above
schedule.
Business Visa
For the purpose of changing the category of visa of foreign
national employees and investors from business visa to work
visa, the condition to go out of Pakistan to any third country
and get it converted from the Pakistani Mission in that
country has been withdrawn. The Ministry of Interior will
process such requests simply upon receiving verification
from the BOI.
Multiple entry resident visas for up to 3 years will be
issued to businesspersons of all countries, except those
not recognized by Pakistan, who bring in an amount of US$
200,000.Registration of Foreigners with the Police
It has been decided to exempt all foreigners who have been
issued work visas from registration with the police, except
for nationals of countries on the negative list.
Even in the case of countries on the negative list (except
for Indians and foreigners of Indian origin), foreign nationals
in the managerial category who are issued work permits/visas
will also be exempted from police registration.
Indian working in World Bank /ABD/IMF/UN Agencies
and Multinational Companies
Indian passport holders working in World Bank/ADB/IMF/UN
Agencies and Multinational Companies would be facilitated
visa by the respective Pakistan 's Ambassador after clearing
with Link Offices. Opening of Project / Branch / Liaison
Offices
For companies that wish to open their branch / liaison or
representative offices in Pakistan may apply to BOI for
permission on prescribed form. The BOI will process and
decide such cases within a period of 6 to 8 weeks.
Details on the required documentation, etc. are available
at all offices of the BOI. A specimen of the application
for permission to establish branch/liaison offices by foreign
companies is presented in Annex-XXI.
Permission for opening of branch/liaison offices will be
granted by the BOI for a period of 3 to 5 years. Further
extensions will be granted by the BOI after reviewing and
examining the past performance of foreign companies. Requests
for renewal or extension will be processed by the BOI within
two weeks provided the requests are supported with complete
documentation.
Opening of Liaison Offices of Foreign Firms
Foreign companies that intend to undertake export activities
Pakistan will be registered without families
Permission to companies engaged in contractual obligation
of contracts will be granted on production of valid documents
with circulating to government departments
the activities of the foreign airline companies, Pakistani
General Sales Agents and Courier Companies do not come under
the industrial category and therefore, in order to monitor
their operations the government may continue to grant permission
for their liaison office in consultation with the concerned
agencies
Permission for opening a liaison office will be granted
by BOI in consultation with the concerned agencies. A specimen
of application form for permission for Pakistani firms to
work as agent for Foreign Firms is presented in Annex-XX.
GRANT OF PAKISTAN CITIZENSHIP TO FOREIGN NATIONALS
(INVESTORS)
Any person of a country recognised by Pakistan may obtain
Pakistani Citizenship by investing a minimum of US$ 0.75
million in tangible assets and $ 0.25 million (or equivalent
in major foreign currency) in cash on a non-repatriable
basis and by fulfilling the conditions of the Pakistan Citizenship
Law. Investment on a non-repatriable basis means that the
amount is brought to Pakistan through normal banking channels,
converted into rupees, and never remitted back through the
free market.
|
CopyRight 2005 Pak India Business Council
.::IMMIGRATION
PROCEDURES::.
