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Document #1282709
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
According to information contained on the Website of the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration and Emigration, the initial residence visa is valid for a period of one year and is renewable annually (Sri Lanka n.d.a). The government document entitled "Application for the Issue/Extension of a Residence Visa for Sri Lanka" states that an application to renew a residence visa "should be made at least one month before" its expiry (ibid. n.d.b.).
A February 2003 Daily News article reported that the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration and Emigration was to release new guidelines for issuing residence visas to foreign spouses (Daily News 10 Feb. 2003). According to the article, the initial visa issued to the spouses of Sri Lankan nationals would be valid for a period of two years and could be renewed for a further five years upon expiry (ibid.). Following this seven-year period, spouses could be granted permanent residence status (ibid.). Additionally, the Interior Minister announced that "'the earlier restriction imposed that the foreign spouses are not permitted to be employed in Sri Lanka has now been removed'" (ibid.).
For further information on the issuance of Sri Lankan residence visas, including the application process, please refer to the attached documents.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Daily News [Colombo]. 10
February 2003. "New Guidelines for Issuing Residence Visas to
Foreign Spouses." http://www.dailynews.lk/2003/02/10/new12.html
[Accessed 25 Apr. 2003]
Sri Lanka. n.d.a. Department of
Immigration and Emigration. "Residence Visas." http://www.immigration.gov.lk/html/visa/residence.html
[Accessed 25 Apr. 2003]
_____. n.d.b. Department of Immigration
and Emigration. "Application for the Issue/Extension of a Residence
Visa for Sri Lanka." http://www.immigration.gov.lk/downloads/forms/visa/un_compressed/pdf/ResidenceVisa.pdf
[Accessed 25 Apr. 2003]
Attachments
Sri Lanka. n.d.a. Department of
Immigration and Emigration. "Residence Visas." http://www.immigration.gov.lk/html/visa/residence.html
[Accessed 25 Apr. 2003]
_____. n.d.b. Department of Immigration
and Emigration. "Application for the Issue/Extension of a Residence
Visa for Sri Lanka." http://www.immigration.gov.lk/downloads/forms/visa/un_compressed/pdf/ResidenceVisa.pdf
[Accessed 25 Apr. 2003]
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB databases
The Sri Lankan High Commission was
unable to provide information within the time constraints of this
Response
Internet sites, including:
Daily News
The Island
Lanka Net
Sri Lankan High Commission
Tamil Net
Search engine:
Google
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