Qatar wrote a new chapter in its history when it launched the first-ever Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday.

The QVC, which is expected to make life much easier for recruiters as well as workers who wish to come to Qatar, will help streamline the entire procedure.

Qatar’s ambassador to Sri Lanka Dr Rashid bin Shafea Al Marri formally opened the QVC in the presence of several Qatari and Sri Lankan top officials, reported Gulf Times.

Al Marri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Sri Lanka, thanked the Sri Lankan Ministers and the audience who attended the ceremony.

HE Dr.Rashid bin Shafea Al Marri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar in Sri Lanka inaugurated first “Qatar Visa Center”(QVC) in Colombo today. ( 11/10/2018 )
افتتح سعادة الدكتور راشد بن شفيع المري سفير دولة قطر في سريلانكا أول مركز تأشيرات قطر اليوم في كولومبو .) 11/10/2018) pic.twitter.com/DflnRI0dbM

— QatarEmb_COL (@QatarEmb_COL) October 11, 2018

“The Qatar Visa Center in Sri Lanka is a first-of-its-kind initiative anywhere in the world. Colombo was selected as the first city to have the facility underlines the distinguished relations between the two countries,” Al Marri was quoted as saying by Qatar Tribune.

“Qatar is keen to ensure the protection and safety of all expatriate workers. The overseas QVCs will enable the completion of recruitment procedures through one channel easily and within a shorter period of time,” said Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Director of Visa Support Services Department at the Ministry of Interior.

The centre will provide a number of services including fingerprinting, biometric data processing, medical examination and signing of employment contracts. 

The QVC aims to ensure speedy completion of expatriate workers’ transactions to start work immediately after entering Qatar. It also aims to avoid cases of workers returning to their home country if it found they are incompetent for the purpose for which they are recruited.