On September 1, 2016, the Cambodian Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MOLVT) launched the Foreign Labor Centralized Management System, an online portal that provides a streamlined application process for foreigners to obtain work permits in Cambodia. From September 1 onward, all companies that employ foreign workers must submit their quota requests and their applications for work permits and employment cards through the online portal.

 

The Foreign Labor Centralized Management System can be accessed at www.fwcms.mlvt.gov.kh. The company that is operating the system, E-Solution (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., is entitled to a public service fee of USD 30 (KHR 122,500) per quota request for foreign labor, plus USD 30 (KHR 122,500) per request for a new or extended work permit and employment card. All fees must be paid through the bank system, and E-Solution will request and process the MOLVT’s official fees at the same time.

 

In the past, foreigners were required to undergo a medical examination from a government clinic in order to obtain a work permit. Now, foreigners can obtain a health checkup certificate from a clinic of their choice to request or extend a work permit and employment card. There is no requirement on how recent this certificate must be, but it must be certified by the Department of Occupational Health and Safety for a fee of USD 5 (KHR 20,400).

 

For the 2017 calendar year, the quota request must be submitted by no later than November 30, 2016, and applications for work permits and employment cards must be submitted by no later than March 31, 2017, failing which employers will face possible fines of up to approximately USD 900 (KHR 3.6 million) per violation.

 

This resembles somewhat the electronic visa story. Cambodia does not have the personnel, technology or infrastructure to run it and farms the work and the costs involved out to a third party abroad.

The story also provides some interesting hints how the new visa extension regime appears to work. It seems that the whole reorganization was a result of an initiative by the Labor Dept. to enforce the work permits. As no specific work visa had been issued so far confusion ensued. Now we have a work visa and a process for issuing work permits effectively. Thus, authorities can crack down on those without permit. Within 1 year the system will cover all visas and leave no loophole.

The retirement, education, and tourist visa-extensions are apparently less important. They do, however, preclude gainful employment. Thus, their main purpose is to cover non-working expats. Whether there will be some more regulation will probably depend on the ability of the Cambodian authorities to find a system that they can, again, farm out.

Given that Cambodian immigration is by far less developed than its counterparts in neighboring country, think of Thailand, further regulation might take years and depend on action by, say, the Ministry of Education. The pricing has remained as before with the same agencies involved as before. Obviously, immigration is happy with things as they are and have done practically nothing to change the state of affairs.

I think this is very reassuring.