Laos - Govt details measures to manage foreigners

The government has instructed relevant sectors to put the already-formulated measures in place for the management of foreigners working in Laos.

The Government Office recently made the announcement, instructing the officials to put the measures into action in a move which has been planned for a long time.

Amongst other occupations mentioned in the announcement, the measures stipulated that those foreigners presently working as hawkers, nail cutters, beauticians, scrap metal collectors, vegetable and seafood vendors in markets or doing other informal work will not be allowed to stay.

The announcement reiterated that this group of people will not be allowed to get a work permit. “Those who infringe will be penalised in line with the laws of the Lao PDR,” it said.

The announcement also required all development projects and businesses to register their foreign employees and complete paperwork to obtain temporary work permits and temporary residential certificates for any foreign employees who have no such documents or whos e documents are now invalid.

The employers are required to obtain short-term documents from district offices then obtain long-term documents from provincial-level offices. Employees who do not have such documents will not be allowed to stay.

As a special case, foreigners who are currently working on the construction of the facilities for the Asia-Europe Meeting to be hosted in Vientiane in November, will be managed under special regulations, the announcement said, but gave no further details.

Foreigners found owning and operating businesses such as wholesale or retail shops, tailors and livestock farms without business licences can apply for legal documents if the value of the business amounts to at least one billion kip.

District authorities have been asked to allocate particular areas for foreign owned retail and wholesale shops.

Those whose business value is below one billion kip but not less than 250 million kip will be given a two-year period to grow their business to one billion kip, then apply for legal documents. Those failing to fulfill the requirement will not be allowed to stay.

The announcement required the responsible officials to strictly implement th e measures as announced.

The announcement also warns the officials not to charge the foreigners any fine or tax when they have to travel back home.

Numerous foreigners have been reported flocking to Laos, especially foreign workers including illegal ones. They enter the country in many different forms – some just as tourists, while some enter as legal workers with development projects but do not return home after the project end and their visa lapses. Instead, they seek employment or operate some kind of business.

Source: Vientiane Times

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