By SOMAN BABY

MANAMA

APPLICATIONS to issue or renew expat work permits will no longer be accepted by the Labour Ministry. It stopped receiving applications yesterday as it prepares to hand over responsibility for issuing work visas to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) on July 1.

However, the ministry will process all applications submitted until yesterday, said a ministry spokesman.

He added that work visas for maids and other domestic helpers would continue to be issued by the Labour Ministry.

However, the ministry will not transfer any application that is not processed to the LMRA since the system of issuing work visas is different.

Employers would previously apply for visas for specific occupations, but then have them processed at General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence (GDNPR) – where they would submit the work permit and the passport details of the applicant.

The LMRA, however, is issuing work visas in the specific name of the employee.

Employers who apply for a work visa must first submit the passport details, photographs and other documents to the LMRA.

“If the application meets the LMRA criteria, it will be processed there in three days,” said the official.

It will take another two days at the Central Informatics Organisation for the allocation of the CPR number and an extra five days at the GDNPR for processing the residence visa.