ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Foreign nationals in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will be required to obtain a work permit before starting a job, an Iraqi official said on Saturday.
“Obtaining an entry visa does not mean the right to work. If a person does not have a work permit from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, they are not allowed to work anywhere, whether in the Kurdistan Region, Baghdad, or any other province,” Nashat al-Khafaji, the head of Iraq’s department of civil status, passports and residence, told Rudaw’s Halkawt Aziz during a press conference in Baghdad.
Khafaji said that Iraq has also started issuing electronic visas to all foreign nationals, including Syrians, and that the visas will come in various types.
“There are standard visas for spouses, and there may be multiple-entry visas for students and business owners. There may even be transit visas. There are about eight types of visas that can be applied for through the electronic visa system,” Khafaji said.
Earlier this year, Baghdad began cracking down on foreigners violating residency regulations. Human Rights Watch criticized Iraq for deporting Syrians who had sought safety in the country.
Iraq hosts around 270,000 Syrian refugees, over 90 percent of whom reside in the Kurdistan Region, according to data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
Job prospects are very limited for Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with most resorting to low-paying jobs to make ends meet.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) interior ministry in April issued an instruction to cease issuing new visas for Syrians. It was understood at the time that those who already had been issued visa and residency cards would not be affected by the decision.
The ministry said Syrians who have Canadian, American, or European citizenship can be issued visitor visas, but are not allowed to apply for a residency card.
According to Iraqi citizenship regulations issued in 2006, any foreigner who legally entered the country and has stayed for ten consecutive years has the right to apply for Iraqi citizenship, but this regulation is being ignored by the authorities.
