Tag Archive for: Work Permits

Location: Africa
Capital City: Tunis
Currency: Tunisian Dinar
Language: Arabic
Calling Code: +216
Internet TLD: .tn
Electricity: 230V 50Hz


Residents Visa and Work Permit information

Expats looking to move to Tunisa should obtain Carte de Sejour or Residence Permit. Your Tunisian Carte de Sejour is an important document that you need to obtain if you are in Tunisia for an uninterrupted stay of more than four months. The Carte de Sejour is your basic identification card, like a driving license in the US. It takes the place of your passport. While in Tunisia, you should leave your passport in a safe place to avoid losing it. In its place, carry your Carte de Sejour and a photocopy of the first page of your passport.
Apply for the Carte de Sejour within three months after your arrival. If you are a US citizen, you can legally come to Tunisia without a visa and stay for up to four months. However, if you stay in Tunisia for longer than four months without a Carte de Sejour you become an illegal alien. If you go to the airport to take a flight out of Tunisia, they will stop you at the passport control and deny you permission to leave until you have paid a fine for overstaying. This can be expensive and unpleasant.

Required documents:
Copies of pages from your passport
Rental contract
Attestation of employment from CEMAT
Copy of the CEMAT/Ministry of Education Cooperation Agreement
Passport
3 photos
Ten Dinar fiscal stamp


Accommodation
Tunisa is divided into neighbourhoods with its own benefits and downsides. We list some of the popular areas for expats below.

Carthage
Carthage is made up of huge villas and a number of apartments. There are plenty of trees and most expats who live here are working for embassies. Public transport is available and taxis cost around 8 Dinar going to the city centre.

Le Berges du Lac
Le Berges du Lac is the latest development in Tunis and is divided into two sections, Lac 1 and Lac 2. There are many restaurants, cafes and stores in the area and most buildings are less than a decade old. Public transport is limited so your alternative is taxis and private transport.

Lafayette and Downtown
Lafayette is located in the heart of the city and is made up mainly of colonial-era apartment buildings. The area offers a great experience for those looking to live in the urban lifestyle. There are many students and young professional in the area where cafes and bars are available. Public transport is available anywhere.


International Schools
British International School of Tunis
The British International School of Tunis (sometimes shortened to BIST) is a primary school providing an engaging, inspirational and rounded education for children aged 3 to 10, following the National Curriculum for England and Wales. Our pupils are encouraged to develop the academic skills and personal resources that will enable them to live fulfilling lives wherever they may find themselves, while engaging with the cultural diversity of our unique location for a truly international perspective. We welcome pupils from the entire region, including local families and those from further afield. Our learning environment is supportive and challenging, meeting the highest standards as recognised by the Council of British International Schools and the British Government’s inspection of overseas schools.
Curriculum: British
Address: 49 rue du Parc, 2036 La Soukra
Tel: (216) 71 865 682
Fax: (216) 71 865 694
Email: info@bistunis.com
Website: www.bistunis.com

American Cooperative School of Tunis
ACST follows the American educational system PreK to 10 and the IB Diploma Program in grades 11 and 12. Many teachers are recruited from the United States. The curriculum is based on the AERO (American Education Reaching Out) standards in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, World Languages, Visual Arts, and Technology. ESL, Library, Academic Support, and Physical Education use national or state standards.
Curriculum: US
Address: BP 150 Cite Taeib M’hiri, Laouina 2045
Tel: (216) 71 760 905
Fax: (216) 71 761 412
Website: www.acst.net

 

Business Permits

Foreign nationals establishing a trade, business, or profession in Nigeria must first obtain a business permit from the Minister of Interior (MOI), usually granted for 90 days with the possibility of a 30-day extension. As the business permit does not include residence authorization, most foreign nationals then apply for a residence permit in-country. The new regulations now clarify that even upon obtaining residence authorization, business permits must still be renewed. While past practice was often to forgo renewing the business permit once a residence permit was issued, the regulations now include penalties for failing to renew business permits.

Work Permits

The new regulations now provide a Temporary Work Permit (TWP) which is a single-entry work authorization, valid for two to three months, with a possible 30-day extension available in-country. Significant penalties also now apply for failing to obtain requisite extensions. Note that this TWP is granted outside the current expatriate quota levels which apply only to more long-term work permits.

For longer work assignments, companies must apply for a work permit under the expatriate quota through the MOI. In a significant improvement in that stream, foreign nationals may now request a “stay of action” letter which allows them to remain in-country pending an expatriate quota renewal and issuance of a renewed work permit, if the initial expatriate quota work permit expires. 

Residence Permits

The new regulations have also further defined the rules and processes for residence permits. The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (CGI) has been tasked with administration of all residence authorizations. The regulations now clarify that residence permits may be granted for stays up to two years. Also of significant benefit to companies and their foreign employees, the regulations now expressly provide that foreign nationals who have pending residence permit applications may travel internationally and re-enter Nigeria during the first 90 days from their original entry.

Investors Visa

The new regulations also call for a new long-term Investment Visa which gives the holder permanent residence status. However, the regulations do not yet formally contain the details of the minimum investment threshold, permissible form of investment, or length of investment.

Visas on Arrival

As Pro-Link GLOBAL reported previously, Nigeria recently greatly expanded its visa-on-arrival scheme to accommodate business travelers from nations with no Nigerian overseas consular post. The new regulations now take that scheme one step further by opening the visa-on-arrival option to all foreign nationals, regardless of their country of residence. However, note that the “visa on arrival approval letter” obtained by an in-country sponsor must still be in hand when the foreign national arrives and requests the visa-on-arrival at his/her port of entry.

Registration Requirements

The new regulations also call for the establishment of a new nation-wide register of foreign nationals in Nigeria. Once implemented, all foreign nationals obtaining residence permits will be required to register their residences at the NIS office in the state where they reside and make subsequent updates to their registration whenever they change their residence. Landlords and owners of hotels, boarding houses, and other lodging accommodations will be required to maintain records of their foreign guests, including names, addresses, occupations, passport information, and arrival and departure dates.

Source

What is the change? South Africa has announced significant changes to the validity period of visas. Visas will no longer be valid beyond the expiration date of the holder’s passport, and authorities will no longer recognize or transfer an existing visa from an old passport to a new passport.

What does the change mean? All foreign nationals currently holding South African visas should check the expiration date on their passport, which is the date that now controls expiration of their visa (regardless of the visa’s stated validity period). Individuals applying for South African visas should also make sure that their passport is valid for at least 30 days beyond the requested visa period.

How will this impact foreign nationals with existing permits?

· Implementation time frame: Immediate.
· Visas/permits affected: All South African visas.
· Who is affected: Individuals currently holding or applying for South African visas.
· Business impact: The policy adds significant administrative burdens and requires employers and individuals to be aware of passport validity periods before applying for visas, as well as during the term of their visa. Individuals risk overstaying their visa (resulting in a one-year bar from entry into South Africa) if their passport expires before the end of their stated visa term.
· Next steps: Companies should work with their BAL professional to identify affected foreign employees and family members, including minor children whose passports usually have shorter validity periods. Those applying for visas may need to obtain a new passport if it is due to expire within the requested visa period. Those who already hold a visa that expires within 30 days before their passport expires may need to leave South Africa to avoid overstaying their visa.
Background: Previously, South African immigration authorities issued visas with a maximum validity period based on the period requested in the application. If a visa holder’s passport expired during the visa period, authorities would allow the visa holder to travel into South Africa with the expired passport holding the visa and the new passport; those already in South Africa could transfer their visa from an old passport to a new passport.

Under the new Department of Home Affairs policy, the maximum validity of a visa is the passport’s validity period minus 30 days. The policy affects individuals currently holding South African visas as well as those applying for or renewing visas, and affects visas issued abroad or in-country.

According to the DHA statement, “A visa issued with an expiry date beyond that of a passport is considered to have been issued in error and when discovered will be withdrawn.” The statement further clarifies that foreign nationals will not be exempt from immigration enforcement because a visa was issued in error. Therefore, in the event that a visa holder’s passport expires while in South Africa during the visa term (even if the visa validity was issued in error), DHA is likely to deem the foreign national an overstay who is subject to being on the “undesirables” list and barred from re-entry for at least 12 months.

For assistance with matters contact our South African immigration team – immigration@relocationafrica.com or call our offices +27 (0)21 7634240 Relocation Africa can provide a management tool to manage all foreign nationals expiry dates on passports and visas.