Andrew Stegmann

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | Conversion to New Biometric Work Card Required

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is in the process of converting to new biometric work cards. Foreign nationals currently applying for work authorization in the DRC will receive the new biometric work card. However, the MOL has further mandated that current holders of valid non-biometric work cards must visit their local MOL office to submit their biometric data and obtain the new biometric card. Reportedly, authorities will begin visiting work sites later this month to assure that all foreign workers have either converted over to the new biometric card or have submitted their biometrics in the process of doing so.

With issuance of the new cards currently taking up to 20 days in many instances, companies and their foreign employees should report to their local MOL office immediately to begin the process of obtaining the new biometric cards before enforcement site visits begin. Foreign nationals working in the DRC who have not received their new biometric work cards should reach out to their Pro-Link GLOBAL Immigration Specialists as soon as possible for assistance.

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Andrew Stegmann

Immigration changes in Nigeria and Egypt

NIGERIA road sign

Africa’s largest economy is slowly coming out of its worst recession in 30 years, and the Nigerian government continues to modernize its employment-based immigration system in an effort to attract international business. Earlier this year, Nigeria finally adopted the administrative regulations to implement its Immigration Act of 2015, which was the country’s first significant amendment of their immigration law in over 50 years. This year, the Immigration Regulations 2017 made broad changes to the full spectrum of business visas, visas-on-arrival, work and residence permits, entry procedures, identification and registration rules, and administrative processes.

egypt

EGYPT | Visa-Free Privileges Suspended for Qatari Citizens, and Updated List of Foreign Nationals Required to Register In-Country Within Seven-Days of Entry
Effective July 20, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs began denying visa-free entry to Qatari citizens. This is the latest salvo in the ongoing diplomatic and trade war by 16 Middle Eastern countries against the nation of Qatar. Egyptian officials have publicly indicated that exemptions to the visa-free suspension will be considered on a case-by-case basis for Qatari nationals with Egyptian spouses or mothers; however, it is unclear thus far how applicants would exercise that option.

While Qatari nationals are still eligible to apply for visas to enter Egypt, these applications have been subject to heightened scrutiny and high rates of rejection even prior to the current escalated tensions. With the Egyptian diplomatic missions in Qatar having been withdrawn in June, applications will likely need to be lodged at the Egyptian diplomatic posts in Kuwait or Oman, which have thus far elected to remain neutral in the current dispute. Even clearing that hurdle, applications by Qatari citizens will still face greater rejection levels absent close connections to individuals or companies in Egypt.

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Andrew Stegmann

REVEALED: South Africa’s top 20 hospitals

Johannesburg – Discovery Health revealed its annual hospital survey this week, which gave some measure of South Africa’s best hospitals. Discovery surveyed 136 hospitals, using an exit poll from its members after they had been in hospital.

Mediclinic had eight hospitals among the top 20, which made it the top ranking service provider.Â

Discovery’s questions in the poll centred on the quality of care from doctors and nurses, patients’ overall experience, and hospital conditions.

 The Top 20 hospitals in alphabetical order are:
  1. Cormed-clinic (Gauteng)
  2. Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre (KwaZulu-Natal)
  3. Gateway Private Hospital (KwaZulu-Natal)
  4. Hillcrest Private Hospital (KwaZulu-Natal)
  5. Life Bay View Private Hospital (Western Cape)
  6. Life Rosepark Hospital (Free State)
  7. Lowveld Hospital (Mpumalanga)
  8. Mediclinic Cape Gate (Western Cape)
  9. Mediclinic Ermelo (Mpumalanga)
  10. Mediclinic George (Western Cape)
  11. Mediclinic Hoogland (Free State)
  12. Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt (Western Cape)
  13. Mediclinic Milnerton (Western Cape)
  14. Mediclinic Panorama (Western Cape)
  15. Mediclinic Stellenbosch (Western Cape)
  16. Midvaal Private Hospital (Gauteng)
  17. Netcare Jakaranda Hospital (Gauteng)
  18. Netcare N1 City Hospital (Western Cape)
  19. Wilmed Park Private Hospital (North West)
  20. Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital (Gauteng)

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Andrew Stegmann

Lesotho: Pioneering Electronic Visa Program Aimed to Increase Tourism and Investment

Washington, DC — Lesotho is the only independent nation in the world with its entire land mass above 1,000 meters (3,281 feet). Now the country, with a population of 2.1 million and a surface area the size of Belgium, has another distinction – a top-tier electronic visa program, joining only 13 other countries on the continent, according to the African Development Bank’s Visa Openness Index.

Launched on May 5 – making Lesotho the ninth nation , the platform was created by the Lesotho government in partnership with a U.S.-based, privately owned IT company, Computer Frontiers, with offices and tech staff in Ghana, Uganda and several other African capitals. During last month’s U.S. Africa Business Summit in Washington, DC, where Lesotho e-visa was on display, AllAfrica’s Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga discussed the platform with T’sepiso Mosasane , Lesotho’s acting director of Immigration in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Computer Frontiers President Barbara Keating. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

How is e-visa helping Lesotho?

T’sepiso Mosasane : It has eliminated most of the challenges that we were encountering regarding visas. We used to have a manual system, and there were lots and lots of problems.  Apart from that, we were losing out on investment and tourism because many people didn’t know how to access our visa.  And our country was not even known in the world because we didn’t know how to advertise.

How long does it take to get a visa for Lesotho?

T’sepiso Mosasane : 48 hours.

Barbara Keating: We have a call center and adjudication of the visas is done 24/7.

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