Immigration in Bangladesh
Introduction
Bangladesh has recently gained a marvelous amount of attention worldwide due to its booming business and growing economy. As well as the easy immigration law in Bangladesh inspired international people to stay there and continue their business. This has attracted several foreign nationals to seek employment in Bangladesh or to invest in Bangladesh. This piece of writing provides an overview of the various schemes and procedures that must be followed for obtaining citizenship or a visa in Bangladesh.
Obtaining Citizenship in Bangladesh
A person who has resided in Bangladesh for 4 years during the last 7 years can apply for citizenship in Bangladesh.
Requirements
In order to obtain citizenship the immigration law in Bangladesh, the applicant has to satisfy the following-
(a) That he is not a minor
(b) That he is neither a citizen of?Bangladesh nor a subject of any state of which a citizen of?Bangladesh is prevented by or under any law from becoming a subject by naturalization
(c) That he has resided in Bangladesh throughout the period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of application, and has, during the seven years immediately preceding the said period of twelve months. Resided in?Bangladesh for a period amounting In the aggregate to not less than four years
(d) That he is of good character
(e) That he has adequate knowledge of the Bengali language and
(f) That he intends, if the application is granted, to reside in Bangladesh or to enter or continue in the service of the?Republic in?Bangladesh
Certificate of Naturalization
If the above requirements are satisfied, then the person seeking citizenship in Bangladesh shall apply for the Certificate of Naturalization to the concerned government authorities in Bangladesh.
Every application for a Certificate of Naturalization shall be in writing and shall state to the best of the knowledge and belief of the applicant-
(a) His age
(b) His place of birth
(c) His place of residence
(d) His profession, trade or occupation
(e) Full particulars regarding his qualification
(f)Whether he has at any time previously applied for the grant of a certificate of naturalization
(g)Whether any such application has been rejected
(h)Whether any such certificate has been granted to him and
(i)Whether any such certificate granted to him has been revoked?or whether he has been deprived of his citizenship.
After receiving the Certificate of Naturalization, the applicant would be registered as a citizen of Bangladesh.
Government Delegate visa
The visa applicant must obtain and fill out the application form from the Bangladesh High Commission in their respective country. The following documents must be submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission along with Visa application-
·????????Print-out of duly filled-in Visa application form with applicant’s signature
·????????01 recent passport size color photograph with a white background
·????????Passport
·????????Note Verbal from the concern Ministry mentioning the applicant’s position, duration of stay and purpose of visit in Bangladesh;
·????????Previous Passport and visa (if any) along with a photocopy
Business Visa
Regarding a business travel visa, the applicant should apply for the B visa. For obtaining B visa, the following documents must be submitted to the Bangladeshi High Commission or Embassy in the respective country-
·????????The completed and signed visa application form
·????????Original passport, valid for at least six months
·????????The visa processing fee
·????????Three passport-sized recent photographs
·????????Invitation letter from a business organization in Bangladesh
·????????Letter from your employer confirming your position in the company
·????????Flight/travel itinerary
·????????A self-addressed, pre-paid special delivery envelope.
After obtaining B visa, the visa holder can reside in Bangladesh for 180 days.
Step by Step Process of Obtaining a Work Permit in Bangladesh
The first step for every foreign national who seeks employment in Bangladesh is obtaining a work permit to work in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is the primary Government authority that issue work permit in Bangladesh for foreign nationals who seek employment in private companies or industries or public enterprises. This government body is the primary body that determines if a foreign would receive a work permit to work in Bangladesh. BIDA has a prescribed form for foreign nationals who seek work permits in Bangladesh.
Guidelines of BIDA
Foreign nationals must keep in mind that BIDA strictly maintains the?following guidelines-
o??Applicants of the work permit must be from a country that Bangladesh recognizes as a nation.
o??Employment of the foreign national is considered only in industrial/commercial establishments which have been registered by the appropriate authority.
o??Employment of foreign nationals is normally considered for the job for which locals are not available. However, this is not a mandatory requirement.
o??Persons under the age of 18 years are not eligible for employment.
o??A decision of the board of directors of the concerned company or institution for new employment is to be furnished in each case.
o??BIDA ensures that the number of foreign employees does not exceed 5% in the industrial sector and 20% in the commercial sector of the total employees.
Initially, the employment of any foreign national is considered for a period of one year, which may be extended on the merit of the case.
Step 1: Publishing Newspaper or an Online Advertisement
The employer must first publish a newspaper or an online advertisement for the recruitment of a potential employee. The newspaper or online advertisement must include a list of tasks that the employee would be required to perform, qualifications of the potential employee, the indication of salary, location of the job, and any other mandatory terms of the employment. This advertisement basically sets out an overview of the job.
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Step 2: Application for the E Visa Recommendation
Thereafter, the employer must apply to BIDA for the E Visa recommendation in favor of the foreign national. The documents that must be submitted to BIDA are as follows-
o??Copy of permission letter for branch/liaison/representative office or Memorandum of articles of association and certificate of incorporation in case of a locally incorporated company.
o??Board Resolution for the employment of foreign nations mentioning Expatriate Name, Nationality & Passport Number
o??Photograph of the Expatriate.
o??Copy of passport of the Expatriate/Investor/Employee
o??Appointment Letter/transfer order/service contract or agreement for expatriate/investors.
o??Certificate of all academic qualification & professional experience for the employees
o??Paper clipping showing advertisement made for recruitment of local personal prior to the appointment of the expatriate(s)
o??Specific activities of the company
o??Statement of manpower showing a list of local and expatriate personal employed with the designation, salary break-up, nationality and date of the first appointment.
o??Encashment certificate of inward remittance of minimum U.S $50,000.00 as initial establishment cost for branch/liaison/representative office and locally incorporated/ joint venture and 100% foreign ownership companies.
o??Up-to-date Income tax clearance certificate (Organization)
All the documents must be attested by the Chairman/ CEO / Managing director/ Country Manager/ Chief executive of the Company/ firms.
Step 3: Application for E Visa in the Respective Bangladesh Embassy or High Commission
Once BIDA issues the E visa recommendation, the foreign national must apply for E visa in the respective Bangladesh Embassy or High Commission in their country. Once the E visa is issued, the foreign national should enter Bangladesh with the E visa.
Step 4: Application for a Work Permit in Bangladesh
After arrival in Bangladesh, the foreign national must submit an application for the work permit to BIDA within 15 days. A fee of Tk. 5,000 is applicable for applying for the work permit.
The following papers/documents are required for a new work permit-
o??Attested photocopy of passport with arrival stamp ‘E’ type visa for an employee
o??Copy of permission letter for branch/liaison/representative office or Memorandum of articles of association and certificate of incorporation in case of the locally incorporated company.
o??Board Resolution for the employment of foreign nation(s) mentioning Expatriate Name, Nationality & Passport Number
o??Photograph of the Expatriate.
o??Copy of passport of the Expatriate/Investor/Employee
o??Appointment Letter/transfer order/service contract or agreement for expatriate/investors.
o??Certificate of all academic qualification & professional experience for the employees
o??Paper clipping showing advertisement made for recruitment of local personal prior to the appointment of the expatriate(s)
o??Specific activities of the company
o??Statement of manpower showing a list of local and expatriate personal employed with the designation, salary break-up, nationality, and date of the first appointment. (Latest Copy)
o??Encashment certificate of inward remittance of minimum U.S $50,000.00 as initial establishment cost for branch/liaison/representative office and locally incorporated/ joint venture and 100% foreign ownership companies.
o??Up-to-date Income tax clearance certificate (Organization)
?Step 5: Security Clearance
Once a work permit is issued by BIDA, a copy of the work permit would then be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for security clearance by BIDA. After some scrutiny, security clearance will be issued.
FE Visa
Investor Visa
The investor visa is applicable to foreign investors who want to invest in a business in Bangladesh.
The visa applicant must obtain and fill out the application form from the Bangladesh High Commission in their respective country. The following documents must be submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission along with Visa application-
Tourist Visa
In order to obtain a tourist visa for visiting Bangladesh, the visa applicant must appear in person to the Bangladeshi Embassy in their country for visa application. The visa applicant must provide the following documents as part of the application-
Student Visa
Students who seek admission in any government-approved educational institution must apply for a student visa in their respective Bangladeshi Embassy or High Commission.
The following documents must be submitted to the Bangladeshi Embassy or High Commission in order to apply for a student visa-
Diplomatic Visa
This visa applies to persons who are being employed in a diplomatic position. The following documents must be submitted to the respective Bangladeshi Embassy or High Commission in order to apply for a diplomatic visa-
NGO visa
A person who has been appointed in an NGO registered in Bangladesh is eligible for an NGO visa. The following documents must be submitted to the respective Bangladeshi Embassy or High Commission for NGO visa-
Journalist Visa
Journalists of newspapers/magazines/TV or radio networks/news agencies /representatives of print, electronic, or satellite media / freelance journalists would be eligible for a journalist visas for the purpose of conducting their professional service in Bangladesh. The following documents must be presented to the respective Bangladeshi Embassy or High Commission by the visa applicant for obtaining a journalist visa-
·????????A support letter from his/her employer describing the purpose of the visit to Bangladesh
?Conclusion
The Department of Immigration & Passports of the Ministry of Home Affairs is the government organization responsible for passports, immigration and migration in general in Bangladesh. One can obtain immigration from the above process.
Former Sr.Lawyer,Supreme Court Of Bangladesh. Former Commissioner of Oath’s. Researcher, Domestic Violence and Family Law’s
2 年Excellent, thanks to the government of the people’s republic of Bangladesh providing the special Law in time. The nation will ever remember the appropriate steps to protect our nation and pride.Thanks our Law Ministry, Honb’l Minister and the Government.