IMMIGRATION AND RELOCATION LAW UPDATE : LEGAL NEWS UPDATE ON THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED ONLINE WORK PERMIT AND RESIDENT PERMIT APPLICATION AND ISSUANCE SYSTEM (OWAIS)

• Establishment of an online integrated system for work and resident permit application.
• The procedure for Work and Resident permit application prior to the introduction of the Online Work and Residence Permit Application and Issuance System. (OWAIS)
• The new Application process of Work and Residence permits

1.0 Establishment of an Online integrated system for work and resident permit application

The Prime Minister’s Office – Policy, Parliament, Coordination, Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability has developed an Online Work Permit Application and Issuance System (OWAIS). The System is integrated with the Online System for application of Residence Permit (e-Permit), which is run by the Immigration Department. The integrated System enables applicants to electronically submit their applications for Work/Residence Permit, pay required fees, receive status notification and Grant Notice online via their email accounts.

2.0 The procedure for Work and Resident permit application prior to the introduction of the Online Work and Residence Permit Application and Issuance System (OWAIS)

1. Previously, one would separately first apply for the work permit through the online Work Permit Application portal and further proceed to make an application for the residence permit at online Immigration Portal. However, work permit application portal was only for purpose of generation of a Control number for payment of the work permit application fees as well as generation of a populated online work permit form which was later supposed to be printed for physical submission at the Ministry of Labour.
2. Upon issuance of the work permit, a separate application for residence permit was supposed to be applied for in the Immigration’s residence permit E-System which did not involve physical filing of the residence permit application. The process was fully online until issuance of the residence permit which was physically issued at the Immigration Headquarters’ office.

3.0 Application Process

1. Currently, work and residence permit applications are triggered by accessing the Online Work Permit Application and Issuance System (OWAIS). Via the OWAIS one shall have access to an integrated account for both work permit and resident permit application. This means that, the work and residence permits are applied for simultaneously by populating and submission of one application. Once the application is submitted in the OWAIS the same is received by both the Ministry of Labour and Immigration Office.
2. Once the application is approved the collection of the residence permit card shall be done at the Immigration Headquarters office upon receipt of the notification from Immigration office.
3. It should be noted that, only one residence permit card shall be issued. However, prior to notification of approval of the residence permit, the work permit approval shall first be issued from the Ministry of Labour.

4.0 Conclusion

1. The Online Work Permit Application and Issuance System (OWAIS), will serve a great need of time efficiency and cost effective since the documentation will be easily uploaded through the system in case of work permit application whereby previously, the documents were required to be sent physically to the Labour Commissioner’s offices in Dodoma at the Ministry for Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability, which posed quite an infrastructural and financial inconvenience for applicants.
2. The system will allow Applicants to easily make follow up of their ongoing applications through the OWAIS.
3. This system gives a direct access to both the departments therefore there is no requirement of uploading application documents twice for work and residence permits respectively.

 

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