Govt moves to address Chinese visa delays

Sources said that the government had streamlined visa approval under the Pakistan Online Visa System to facilitate Chinese nationals by reducing the processing time while ensuring adherence to the requisite security protocols. Previously, the security clearance process for Chinese nationals took approximately four to six weeks.

However, the processing time has now been standardised and slashed to seven days, representing a reduction of up to 83%. This timeline applies to all visa categories falling within the ambit of the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control.

Nevertheless, delays may occur due to deficiencies in visa applications, including the selection of an incorrect visa category and submission of incomplete documents. Employees of Chinese companies frequently apply under the Business Visa category instead of the appropriate Work Visa category, resulting in return or refusal of applications or the requirement to submit fresh requests.

Visa facilitation arrangements are governed by the principle of reciprocity and the applicable bilateral arrangements. However, the facilitation currently extended by the Chinese side is understood to be limited to holders of diplomatic and official passports.

Furthermore, instances of Chinese nationals being allegedly involved in unlawful activities have also been reported, resulting in their deportation from Pakistan. In view of the foregoing, the existing visa regime seeks to facilitate Chinese investors, business entities and other eligible applicants while ensuring compliance with the applicable immigration laws and the requisite security requirements.

The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control gives briefings on the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), the timelines required and the proposed measures to improve the SOPs to facilitate Chinese investors. Comprehensive security SOPs for the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and infrastructure are in place.

These SOPs are formulated and revised in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including the Military Operations Directorate and the Chinese Embassy, outlining security arrangements for the internal and external movement of Chinese nationals. Furthermore, a centralised dashboard has been established at the Ministry of Interior to facilitate coordination and monitoring of Chinese nationals across the country.

Access to the dashboard has been extended to the provincial governments and district-level authorities to facilitate the updating and verification of relevant information. The Ministry of Interior says it cannot unilaterally amend the existing SOPs as any proposed changes require consultation with and concurrence of all provincial governments and relevant stakeholders.

Different measures are being considered to facilitate Chinese enterprises, one of which is that sponsoring ministries/organisations and Chinese enterprises shall ensure that visa applications are filed in the correct category, particularly the work category for the employees of companies, with complete documents. Also, the project management shall ensure timely coordination of movement plans with the security authorities concerned in advance.