Upon establishment on the 1st of July 2009, the process of Issuing the Work Visa and entirely related work had been done under the supervision of the Expatriate Monitoring and Repatriation Division of Department of Immigration and Emigration which was formerly handled by the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports. 
A specified ‘‘employment approval’’ which is given by the Ministry is compulsory in order to attain the work visa and shall only be issued to such bearers. For foreigners currently working under the work permit card, the time interval for validity of the work visa would be based on the validity duration left on the foreigners work permit card.
As stated in the name, the monitoring of emigrants and repatriation, as well as the processing of work visa for foreigners and handling employees deposit collection is maintained and supervised by the Expatriate Monitoring and Repatriation Division of Department of Immigration and Emigration.
DEPOSIT COLLECTION
The employer is required to pay a fixed amount of money to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, before the employee is brought to Maldives. The fixed amount of money is the equivalent value of a one way airway ticket back to the employees origin country, which is kept as a security deposit incase the employee needs to be deported for any justifiable reason.
Upon the cancellation of the employees work visa, if the employee is sent back to their origin country with a fund provided by the employer, then the employer have the right to collect the deposit they kept in the Department of Immigration and Emigration. If the employer owes the Department of Immigration and Emigration any money, the deposit can only be attained after the owed amount is deducted.
New Employee Approval
To register a new employer, the employer would need to fill in the ‘New Employee Approval’ form, which includes detail information of the employer and employee. Other than this, the company registration copy or the National ID Card copy of the employer and a clear passport copy of the Employee needs to be attached with this form. Also, together with this form set, a copy of the form set needs to be submitted in order to process it.
Note: If a deposit had already being paid for the employer by a company or person other than the applicant submitting the new employer approval form, then they would need to submit the employer change application.
Employer Change
To change the employer, the employer would need to fill in the employer change application form, which requires information on the present employer, the new employer and the employee. Other than this, the company registration copy or the National ID Card copy of the new employer and a clear passport copy of the Employee needs to be attached with this form. Also, together with this form set, a copy of the form set needs to be submitted in order to process it.
Note: If the present employer had kept a deposit for the employee, once the employer change application process is completed, the present employer could request the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports for a refund of the deposit that they kept.
Note: Employee’s who are brought to work for Government Ministries and Offices and Government shared Companies and Associations does not need to pay the Deposit. If they need to be sent back to their origin country or needs to be deported for any reason, then the respective ministry, office, company or association would be held responsible.
WORK VISA
Work Visa is issued by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, for a period of not more than 1 year, based on the “employment approval” given by the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports. This visa gives the authority for the employee for entry and exit to Maldives, any amount of time, and would only be valid, if the employer continuously pays the work visa fee.
There are 18 counters for work visa application and visa fee payment, which is started at 8:30AM and service would be given till 2:30PM and to make it easier for the customers, this department follows queuing system. The queue numbers are as following:
1-4 Passports – 40 Numbers (started at 8:30AM)
5-15 Passports – 20 Numbers (started at 9:15AM)
16-50 Passports – 30 Numbers (started once the second batch is finished)
In order to apply for work visa, the applicant would need to submit the following information’s of the employee:
Completed Visa Application Form
1 Passport size photo (taken not later than 90 days back)
Employment Approval letter
Passport
Visa Fee (MRF250 per month)
Medical Report
Work Visa Card Payment - MRF50
Work Visa Fee Collection
In order to pay the work visa, the employer would need to submit the Work Visa Fee application form together with the Employment Approval of the employee. The work visa fee is MRF250 per month.
Note: If the work visa is due three months when the employer comes to renew the work visa of their employee, the passport of the employee would be detained unless the employer pays the visa fee for the next six months, together with the due.
Work Visa Card & Passport Sticker
Work visa card expiry period would be based on the period that the work visa fee is paid for, and this card needs to be renewed every time that the employer pays the work visa fee. A fee of MRF50 would be charged in order to make this card.
Once the Work Visa Fee payment has been done, the passport of the employee together with the application form would be retained by the department in order to the process and approve the work visa. If the work visa is approved, the work visa permit sticker would be printed on the passport and the Work Visa Card, together with the passport would be issued to the employer from the issuing counter. This process takes approximately 3-5 working days.
Department of Immigration and Emigration should be informed immediately if the Work Visa Card gets lost or damaged. Damaged or lost cards would only be renewed after the employer pays the Work Visa Card Payment which is MRF50
Work Visa Cancellation
In order to cancel the work visa, the employer would need to submit the following items before the employee leaves the country.
Completed Visa Cancellation Form
Passport
Confirmed ticket or reservation which clearly states the date that the employee is leaving the country
Work visa card
Payment Methods
Cash
Employers Cheque
Note: If the employer’s cheque gets bounced and is added into the blacklist, there forth, any cheque from that employer would only be accepted with bank guarantee, and otherwise, would need to pay in cash.
Bank Guaranteed Cheque if the cheque is not of the employer
EXPATRIATE MONITORING AND REPATRIATION
One of the main works done by this division is expatriate monitoring and repatriation. Employee’s who illegally work in Maldives are searched through special operations conducted by the immigration officers, and are brought and kept in custody in a detention that is specially created for them. This detention holds a capacity of 40 people. Any person held in detention in this division would be deported from the country as soon as possible.
Once an employee leaves the employer and run away for any reason, then the employer should report the case to this division, and hand over the passport of the employee. If, even after leaving the employer, this employee conducts any mischief or break any Rules and Regulations of Maldives, then the employer would be held responsible. And, if this employee, for any reason decides to show up and work under a new employer, who agrees to recruit them, then, the new employer should register the person under their name, and apply for an employer change application. Until this process is complete, this division would retain the passport of the employee.
Employees who misconducts or break any laws of Maldives are taken into custody by the police and are held under supervision until the interrogation is complete. Once completed the immoral employee is sent under the supervision of the division where the immensity of the employee’s crime or misconducts is further investigated. Once the investigation is completed the procedure of deportation is taken into action, if the Division confirms for the employees deportation.
