The Ministry of Labour (MOL) announced the procedures to change residency from family to work following a newly launched e-service.

The process allows residents in Qatar who live under non-work permits such as family residence visas, to join the labour market by changing their permits for the purpose of work. The process starts with the new employer applying to add the resident as a worker through the e-platform of the MOL.

As per the requirements, a smart card is needed to verify through the National Authentication System (NAS) the identity of the establishment and/or personnel authorised to use the service. The phone number provided in the request by the establishment should match the phone number associated with the employee’s QID. Individuals should be registered with the National Address and are also required to register in NAS before entering the portal of the MOL.

The Establishment Card (EID) must be active in the system. There should be no personal suspension of the new employer, and there should be no other applications of the same type under study for the same worker.

The new service has been added to the MOL portal under the request to join the labour market (change from family residency to work residency).

Streamlined process

The process could either start with the new employer applying to add the resident as a worker, or it can start with the worker applying to join the labour market by entering the new employer details.

The request can be approved or rejected depending on whether certain conditions are met. If the approval is granted, the contract attestation procedures start, the new employer settles fees online and the residency change approval information is then automatically exported to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) for final implementation of the actual residency status change.

The service was launched recently and is tailored to support private enterprises in Qatar as it simplifies the process of employing local residents, thereby reducing both time and financial investments in recruiting from overseas.

The service also empowers residents by providing them with employment opportunities, enabling them to actively participate and contribute to the local labour market.

The launch of the new services aligns with the MOL’s strategy to develop digital infrastructure for the labour sector in a way that contributes to facilitating and streamlining the services provided to those dealing with the ministry. The MOL aims to streamline processes by eliminating the necessity of visiting the offices and submitting physical paperwork.

The Digital Transformation Team at MOL focuses on enhancing and updating electronic services using the Agile engineering approach, a method which allows for the rollout of new services and updates every month.

Original article written by Sanaullah Ataullah published by Peninsula Qatar.  

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