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IRAQ – Visa Letters of Approval Limited to Three Months Validity

Effective December 19, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior has begun limiting the validity of Letters of Approval (LOAs) for all visas to three months. Previously, LOAs were issued with varying validity periods depending on visa type, giving LOA holders up to one year in which to enter Iraq and activate or renew their visas.

With this change, foreign nationals who receive LOAs for visas to Iraq will have to ensure that they plan travel to arrive in Iraq within 90 days of the date of issue of their LOAs. Failure to arrive in Iraq within the 90 days will result in their LOA being canceled, requiring a new LOA to be issued.

LOAs issued prior to December 19 will continue to have their own timeframes for activation under the previous practice.

Action Items

  • Companies and their foreign employees should closely track the dates of any LOAs issued after December 19 and ensure that travel is planned to arrive in Iraq before 90 days from the date of issuance. For questions on this new procedure and its impact on scheduled assignments in Iraq, companies are encouraged to reach out to their Immigration Specialists.

This alert was prepared using information provided by New Frontiers Business Consulting.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this immigration alert has been abridged from laws, court decisions, and administrative rulings and should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice. If you have specific questions regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Peregrine © 2017 Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd.