Employers Must Re-Submit Work Permit Applications for Foreign Workers by December 14
November 6, 2018

The situation
The Ministry of Labour in Equatorial Guinea has issued an order that requires companies to re-apply for work permits for all foreign nationals in their employ by December 14, 2018.
A closer look
- Reapplication process. Employers must apply for a new work permit for foreign nationals under their employ by December 14, 2018 by submitting a standard work permit application and supporting documents to the Ministry of Labour. There is no fee for the new work permit application.
- Pending applications. Work permit applications that are pending on or after December 14, 2018 will be processed and do not require the employer to re-apply.
Impact for employers
Employers who fail to submit new work permit applications for all foreign employees by the deadline will be deemed to be employing illegal foreign nationals and may incur fines.
Impact for foreign nationals
Foreign nationals without new work permits by December 14 will be considered illegal workers and will be issued deportation notices or face fines.
Foreign nationals may not work while the work permit is under consideration. It is unclear how long it could take to process the re-submitted work permit.
Background
This initiative was implemented to allow immigration authorities to ensure that work permits were issued according to standard immigration regulations. The government in Equatorial Guinea undertook this same initiative in May 2015.
Looking ahead
The Ministry of Labor may issue additional information about this requirement in the near future. Fragomen will report on further information as it becomes available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Explore more at Fragomen
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.

