Tanzania work visa: work permit and Residence Permit Class B

Residence Permit Class B is issued to foreigners with qualifications or skills, preferably in highly technical occupations, that are not readily available in the Tanzanian labour market. It covers rare professions engaged by a specific employer and professionals working on government and private strategic projects. The matrix has four codes: B-1 for specific employment by a specific employer (USD 2,000), B-2 for diaspora (USD 500), B-3 for short-term employment of up to six months (USD 500) and B-4 for refugees (USD 500).

Before granting a work permit, the Labour Commissioner must be satisfied that efforts to find a local expert have been made, and the employer must prepare a succession plan for passing the foreigner's expertise to citizens and run a training programme for local staff.

The Non-Citizens (Employment Regulation) Act sets five work permit classes: A for self-employed investors, B for holders of prescribed professions, C for other professions, D for persons in registered religious and charitable activities, and E for refugees. Its schedule lists fees of USD 1,000 for Class A, USD 500 for Class B, USD 1,000 for Class C, USD 500 for Class D and no fee for Class E. A work permit is valid for 24 months and can be renewed, but the first grant and renewals together may not exceed eight years. It is not transferable and is valid only for the purpose for which it was issued.

The Labour Commissioner may cancel a work permit if conditions are breached, the holder stops the job, or the application contained misrepresentations. A refusal or cancellation can be appealed to the Minister within 30 days.

The general Class B list includes the online application and an application letter, the work permit from the Labour Commissioner (Mainland or Zanzibar), a passport valid for at least six months, passports of dependants, a photo, the employee's CV, certified academic certificates with official translations if they are not in English or Swahili, the job description and employment contract, the company's organisation structure, registration certificates from professional boards where needed, and the employer's business licence, certificate of incorporation, TIN certificate, tax clearance and BRELA list of directors and shareholders. A letter of no objection is needed when the employee moves from another company.

The work permit and residence permit systems are integrated. The employer registers on the Labour Department's online work and residence permit system, creates an account as a company or organisation, completes one application with all residence permit details and submits it. Once the Labour Commissioner grants the work permit, the system forwards the file to the Immigration Services Department. After approval, the fee must be paid within 60 days; the employee then enrols fingerprints and a photo at an immigration office and receives a smart-card residence permit that also contains the work permit, usually within a week.

Applications should be lodged while the employee is still abroad. An employer that applies for a first grant while the employee is already in Tanzania may have to pay a special pass fee on top of the residence permit fee. Companies registered with TIC, EPZA or ZIPA can submit Class B applications through those investment windows.

Employers must submit returns on the employment of non-citizens to the Labour Commissioner every 30 June and 31 December and report immediately if a foreign employee's employment ends earlier. Before leaving Tanzania for good, the holder must surrender the work permit to the Labour Commissioner within 14 days before departure. A former Class B holder who needs time to close their affairs after the contract ends can apply for Class C-4 (winding up affairs).