Holiday Shutdown Sets 29 Nov. Deadline for Work Permit and Visa Applications

IMPACT – Medium

What are the changes? Work permits and visa applications, as well as renewals, should be filed immediately – and no later than the end of November – because of extended holiday closures in December of offices in Papua New Guinea.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: Work permits; new and renewal visa applications.
• Who is affected: Companies and employees filing for work permits and visas. Note: Renewal applications must be submitted before current work permit/visas expire between now and February.
• Impact on processing times: Expect delays during peak filing season in November and holiday closures in December.
• Next steps: Submit work permit and visa applications immediately and no later than the end of November. Renewal applications that are due to expire between now and February should also be filed by the November deadline.

Background: The Department of Labour and Industrial Relations will be open until the end of November, but only to accept work permit applications. Generally, no work permit or visa applications, or renewals, will be accepted throughout the month of December. Both the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations and the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Service will be completely closed for at least two weeks between 16 and 20 Dec. Counter service at both departments will resume in the second week in January 2014.

BAL analysis: Employers and applicants are encouraged to file applications immediately to avoid the holiday rush. They should pay special attention to renewal applications for permits and visas due to expire during the holiday break.

This alert has been provided by BAL Australia. For additional information, please contact australia@bal.com.

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