Solomon Islands work visa

The long-term employment visa is for expatriates who have secured long-term employment with an organisation or company operating in Solomon Islands. Applicants first obtain a valid work permit and a letter of support from the Labour Division confirming approval of the position. Visa duration and conditions follow the approved work permit, and any change in employment must be reported to the immigration authorities.

The short-term employment visa covers contracts for short-term work, consultancy, technical projects or seasonal employment, also with Labour Division support. The emergency employment visa is for skilled people urgently needed for critical short-term work, such as engineers, technicians or disaster response personnel; travel must be coordinated in advance and justified as urgent.

For the long-term and short-term visas, submit the passport bio page and details, the valid work permit from the Commissioner of Labour, the contract of employment, a recent police clearance and medical report from the country of origin, and a cover letter from the Solomon Islands company or organisation addressed to the Director of Immigration. Proof of qualifications may also be requested.

For the emergency employment visa, the file holds a support letter from the Labour Division or from the company or organisation, a cover letter to the Director, the passport bio page and a return or onward ticket. All applicants must apply from outside Solomon Islands, with a passport valid for more than six months.

Long-term employment visa: USD 450 plus USD 50, two years, multiple entries, extension according to the work permit for USD 500. The extension is lodged while in Solomon Islands on the extension form from the website or the visa service counter; pay at the Finance and Treasury cashier and attach the receipt.

Short-term employment visa: USD 300 plus USD 50, six months, multiple entries. The 2025 fee regulations list a USD 700 extension fee, while the visa page asks for a new application if work continues beyond six months and notes the company may move the worker to a long-term visa. Emergency employment visa: USD 150 plus USD 50, 30 days, single entry, no extension, at most four entries per calendar year.

Applications and payments are made electronically through the eVisa portal; under regulation 9 of the fee regulations as amended in 2025, the Immigration Division may accept a manual application only in exceptional cases such as a system outage or an applicant with limited access to electronic platforms. You register an account with an active email address, select the correct visa class (the portal highlights the first class by default), register the application and pay by Mastercard or Visa; the receipt and all updates arrive by email.

Someone already in the country on another visa who becomes eligible pays a conversion fee under Schedule 2 of the 2025 regulations: USD 1,208 from a visitor or business visa to a long-term employment visa, USD 840 from a foreign national dependant, exemption or special purpose visa, and USD 1,208 from one long-term employment visa to another.

Spouses and children of a long-term or short-term resident apply for the dependent of resident visa (USD 300 plus USD 50), which is linked to the primary visa and requires the primary holder's BMS record number. Dependants may not work unless they hold a work permit under the Labour Act.

Under section 23 of the Immigration Act 2012 there is a character concern if a person has a record of serious criminal conduct, has more than one conviction anywhere, is a threat to national security or is linked to terrorism, people trafficking, child sex offences or drug smuggling, or was acquitted on grounds of unsoundness of mind and detained. Under section 21 the Director may cancel a visa for a character concern or where it was obtained by fraud or false documents.