Holiday Closures Require Early Filing; New Training Report Requirements

Papua New Guinea

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) issued several announcements regarding holiday closures, a new Training Report requirement for Work Permit applicants transferring employers and a reminder that employers must submit cancellation notifications on behalf of terminated foreign employees or those who have ended their assignment early.

Holiday Closures

Due to holiday closures at the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations from December 23, 2016 through January 4, 2017, initial Work Permit applications must be submitted by November 30, 2016. Renewal applications should be submitted three months before the Work Permit expiration date.

Those who overstay their Work Permit validity periods may face fines.

Training Report Requirement

Work Permit holders who seek to change employers must now submit a Training Report outlining any knowledge or skills transfer training they conducted for their previous employer (including the names of Papua New Guinea national employees trained) before filing a new Work Permit application under a new employer.

Previously, the requirement to submit a Training Report was only enforced during the renewal of an existing Work Permit.

Work Permit Cancellation Notifications

Finally, the DLIR has issued a reminder that employers must file cancellation notifications on behalf of terminated foreign employees or those who have ended their assignment early, within 14 days of the end of the assignment. Failure to do so may result in a fine of PGK 1,000 (approximately USD 316).

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

During the holiday closure period, foreign employees should:

• File new Work Permit applications by November 30, 2016. Those who fail to do so can file their applications once the DLIR resumes work on January 4, 2017.
• Those with expiry dates between November 2016 and February 2017 should file their renewal applications as soon as possible.

Foreign nationals seeking to change employers in Papua New Guinea should work with their previous employer to obtain a Training Report to submit with their new Work Permit application under their new employer.

Finally, employers are reminded to submit cancellation notifications for terminated foreign employees or those who have ended their assignment early.

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].

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