Work visa, visit visa, residence permit: the difference
Three terms that are easily confused, where confusing them can cost you your job and your money.
Many of the problems migrant workers run into come from confusing three separate things: the visa you enter on, what kind it is, and the permit you stay on. The difference is not cosmetic. It decides whether your work is lawful.
The visit visa
A visit visa admits you for a set period for something other than work: family, tourism, pilgrimage, a business visit. Working on it is not lawful. Anyone telling you to "come on a visit and we will convert it later" is exposing you to real risk: you may work for months with no legal protection, and if a dispute arises your position is weak because the work was unauthorised to begin with.
The work visa
This is the correct visa for employment. It is issued on the application of a licensed employer and tied to a specific occupation and a specific sponsor. The occupation written on it matters — it defines what you may lawfully do and affects later procedures. Make sure it matches the work you will actually perform.
The residence permit
A residence permit is not a visa. It is a card issued after arrival proving you are lawfully resident. Your employer is responsible for issuing and renewing it. Without it you cannot open a bank account or rent accommodation, and you are exposed at any check.
Common and costly mistakes
- Entering on a visit visa and working while waiting for a conversion that may never come.
- Accepting a visa whose stated occupation differs from the actual job, without understanding the consequences.
- Letting the residence permit lapse, then discovering the problem when a service is needed.
- Handing a passport to somebody "to finish the paperwork" with no receipt and no official standing.
Check before you travel
Ask the employer directly: which visa type, which occupation is written on it, and when will the residence permit be issued after arrival. Clear answers to those three mean you are dealing with somebody who knows what they are doing. Hesitation is a warning.
Rules and fees change and differ by country and employer. Always check with the official authorities before paying or signing anything.