Qatar Keen on Establishing Visa Processing Centre in Nepal

Giving Nepalis migrants to Qatar a sigh of relief, the Qatar Government said it will establish a ‘visa’ and ‘bio-metric health center’ in Kathmandu, shortly. The facility will be the largest in Asia.

“We will soon establish a health center in Kathmandu, which we believe will be of tremendous help to Nepali migrant workers,” said Yousuf Bin Mohammed Al-Hail, Qatar Ambassador to Nepal.

Al-Hail added that the health center will ease migrants’ burden of undergoing health-checkups in Nepal and Qatar. Moreover, the existing process increases the financial burden on workers who reach Qatar but are sent back home on medical grounds.

“At present, workers who fail the health check-up in Qatar, have to return home even though they had passed the health check-up in Nepal,” he said.

The Qatar Ambassador said that the Qatar Government has roped in Singapore-based Biomet Smart Identity Solutions for setting up the bio-metric center and providing visa-related services.

Currently, a four-member Qatari Government delegation is in Kathmandu to hold talks with the Nepali side for revision of the existing Nepal-Qatar labor agreement.

Qatar Visa Support Service Department Director Major Abdullah Khalisa Al-Mohanadi informed that the delegation already spoke to Nepal Labor, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) Minister Gokarna Bista regarding easing the process of opening a visa center in Kathmandu.

Besides Major Al-Mohanadi, Advisor to Qatar Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs Ministry Mohammad Al-Meer, Ministry of Interior ‘Visa Section Officer’ Captain Nasser Al-Khalah, and Ministry of Interior ‘Legal Adviser’ Yahya Albayati among others were present in the meeting.

However, MoLESS said that it is was not aware that the Qatar Government is planning to setup a visa and bio-metric health center in Kathmandu.

“We have not formally received any notice from Qatari government to establish a visa center in Kathmandu,” said Narayan Regmi, MoLESS Spokesperson.

Likewise, Biomet Smart Identity Solutions said it has not yet started any legal procedures for the setup of both the facilities.

“The Qatari embassy in Kathmandu will look into that issue,” informed Suhail Shaikh, business head of the Singaporean company.

Hopefully if all goes well, this will be significant move in easing the visa process for Nepali migrants to Qatar.