Non-EU workers get six-month travel extension for Malta jobs

Employers in Malta will be allowed to apply for a six-month extension to pending work permits for third-country employees, or receive a “credit note” for every applicant, reedemable over six months.

The new rules, announced by Identity Malta, address the pandemic’s effects on the movement of non-EU workers slated for employment in Malta, due to the travel restrictions on their travel and related expiry dates.

Should workers opt to not travel to Malta to take up prospective employment, the employer may apply for a refund in the form of a credit note for the full amount paid with respect to that application. This also applies to successful applicants who were issued with an approval in principle and whose application was received prior to 31st March 2020.

The new rules are said to have cost €1.4 million for Identity Malta, after non-EU workers were granted an extension in August 2020 following the first six-month grant in March 2020.

 “Having a flexible and practical attitude provides our businesses with the necessary breathing space, both in terms of finance and in terms of stipulated time-frames,” said parliamentary secretary for citizenship Alex Muscat.

A single application costs an employer approximately €300, and oftentimes, an employer applies for more than one such permit. “We are committed to help businesses during these trying times. This move is a clear indication that we do not want employers to bear the cost for factors that are beyond their control,” Muscat said.

Identity Malta CEO Anton Sevasta said employers will be notified of their options by mail and the decision must be communicated with Identity Malta within 15 working days. The necessary security checks and verifications of the applicant’s suitability will still be carried out.

Muscat and Sevasta were addressing a stakeholders’ meeting attended by the General Workers’ Union, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, the Malta Chamber of SMEs and Malta Developers Association, the Malta Hotels and Restaurant Association, and the Gozo Business Chamber.