Mr. K. W. Elapatha, Deputy Controller (Visa), Department of Immigration and Emigration, BOI Director General Renuka M. Weerakone, Lt Col Asanka Karunarathna from the Defence Ministry, Jatinder Biala, Chairman Free Trade Zone Manufacturers' Association and Niranjali Weerasekera, Asst. Secretary General Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF).
The Board of Investment (BOI), the pinnacle body for investment promotion, yesterday announced the completion of the integration of the visa recommendation system in coordination with the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Defence Ministry to provide online visa recommendation for potential investors and all the enterprises that fall under the BOI.
The BOI had already completed the online system up to the point where investors/enterprises could submit the visa application online and obtain the approved application from the BOI. For this, the investors were required to make three physical visits to the BOI head office. However, with the integration with the Department of Immigration, there is no need for the investors to visit the BOI at all. Under the newly launched system, visa recommendations will be granted under three visa categories - entry visas, residence visas, and when extending visas. In addition, the applicants who will be eligible to apply for this are the investors, employees, and dependents of the investors, and selected employees. One of the major benefits enjoyed by investors/enterprises out of the novel system is the elimination of investors’ physical presence at the BOI saving their time. Investors can also monitor the online portal and review the status of the process. Upon the completion of the process, the applicants will be notified via an SMS and email alert.
Then, the applicants can take the passport and relevant documents to the Immigration Department where they will be issued the visa. This system will also safeguard against misuse in submission of information, down to the strict assessment.
BOI Director General Renuka M. Weerakone said “the implementation of the online visa recommendation system is yet another milestone in the journey of digitising the entire investor experience to ensure seamless delivery of services to investors,”
“Here, let me make a special mention about the officials of the Department of Immigration, the Defence Ministry and our IT team for their competence and corporation in making the entire process a success,” she said.
“The BOI hopes this system will curb inconveniences faced by the investors/enterprises and will further strengthen the digital transformation of work with line agencies and ministries. In addition, we are happy to hear the feedback on the process and make necessary adjustments if there are any shortcomings,” Weerakone added.
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