Qatar: 1) Information on whether the government of Qatar would issue a residence permit to the foreign wife of a foreign worker who is employed in Qatar; 2) Information on whether a foreign worker can be the sponsor of his foreign wife
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | QAT11188 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Qatar: 1) Information on whether the government of Qatar would issue a residence permit to the foreign wife of a foreign worker who is employed in Qatar; 2) Information on whether a foreign worker can be the sponsor of his foreign wife, 1 July 1992, QAT11188, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aad84c.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A Consular Officer at the Embassy of Qatar in Washington, D.C. provided the following information on the above subjects during a telephone interview on 7 July 1992.
It is possible for a foreign worker who has work and residence permits in Qatar to apply for a residence permit for his foreign wife. In this case, the husband is required to be the sponsor of his wife. As a legal resident, the husband himself is required to be sponsored by a company or an employer. The government of Qatar issues a residence permit to the wife of a legal resident which allows her to remain in Qatar as long as her husband is permitted to remain in the country. The government of Qatar does not renew the work permits of those foreign workers who have been involved in criminal activities or have not fulfilled their work requirements.
Generally, the government of Qatar issues residence permits for a two-year period which are renewable every two years. The government of Qatar treats foreign workers equally; there is no special treatment for the nationals of any particular country.
Although not referring to wives of foreign workers in Qatar, the following information may be noteworthy. Elaborating on expatriate workers in Qatar, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991 states that "[w]ork permits are not being renewed for many nationalities, but particularly not for Somalis, Sudanese, Jordanians, Yemenis, and Palestinians" (1992, 1569).
Additional and/or corroborating information on the above subjects is currently unavailable to the IRBDC.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. 1992. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Embassy of Qatar, Washington, D.C. 7 July 1992. Telephone Interview with Consular Officer.
