Filipino repatriated after overstaying

By ANIQA HAIDER ,  Posted on » Tuesday, November 23, 2010

 A Filipino worker has been repatriated after overstaying his Bahrain work visa by nine years.The man was allowed to leave without paying huge immigration penalties and serving any time in prison thanks to the government’s Easy Exit scheme. Continue reading

Visa health tests to be speeded up

By SANDEEP SINGH GREWAL ,  Posted on » Monday, October 18, 2010

EXPAT employees should get their work visas faster after private hospitals and clinics were given the green light to conduct mandatory pre-employment medical tests.The tests, which also cover family members, used to be conducted solely at Al Razi Health Centre, Al Nuaim. Continue reading

4,500 illegal Bangladeshis leave kingdom

More than 4,500 illegal Bangladeshis have left Bahrain under a government amnesty launched four months ago, it emerged yesterday. Another 1,000 are in the process of leaving after registering for the Labour Market Regulatory Authority’s (LMRA) Easy Exit scheme, said Bangladesh Embassy first secretary Muhammad Ibrahim. Continue reading

Where does the money go?

After several years of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) imposing fees on the hiring of foreign workers, many business owners still complain about the added expense. The LMRA currently charges BD200 for a work visa application or renewal and BD90 for a dependents’ visa. In addition to this, companies must pay BD10 a month for every foreign employee. This adds up to around BD440 in fees every two years for each expat worker. Continue reading