Quick Passports for Foreign Employment: Dhammika makes first move as Minister

• Single-Counter for passports for Foreign Employment

• One-Day Passport Service in three other provinces

• DP to use personal funds to rent upload server

• Daily tourist arrivals by Twitter

• Spouse-Visa validity period extended to five years

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's new Minister of Investment Promotion Dhammika Perera has taken a series of measures to address the longstanding issues at the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

As a first step, a new counter will be opened at the Department of Immigration and Emigration to facilitate the issuance of passports in an expeditious manner to all those who have already completed the necessary documentation to travel overseas for employment.

This special counter will be established at the Head Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Suhurupaya, Battaramulla.

The One-Day Service for passports which was limited to Colombo, will be expanded to the Matara, Kandy, and Vavuniya Districts.

Dhammika Perera has also decided to spend Rs. 900.000/- from his personal fund to rent an upload server for the Department of Immigration and Emigration which experienced issues when a large number of headshots are uploaded.

Meanwhile, the new Minister has instructed the Department of Immigration and Emigration to ensure that the number of tourists arriving in Sri Lanka are updated daily at 9 AM on the official twitter handle from Monday the 4th of July.

At the same time, the Minister has decided to engage with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka over the delay in permitting commercial banks to attract foreign revenue via the Golden Paradise Visa Landing program.

The Minister had also decided to extend the validity of Spouse Visa's issue to foreign nationals who marry Sri Lankans, from one year to five years.