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As many of us now know, all applications for visas to Kenya will be done online starting September 1, 2015.

Below are the latest updates on this process:

1. The most direct way of applying is going to: https://account.ecitizen.go.ke/visitor-registration    (Thanks to a follower of this blog one Jakegc who gave me this link)

That will take you straight to the place you can apply for the Kenyan Visa.

2. According to updates from the key stakeholders in the tourism sector from their meeting today ( August 19, 2015) with the Director of Immigration the following will happen: ( As quoted from Mohammed Hersi’s Facebook update earlier today)

• soon the e-visa application process will be on its own Domain: evisa.go.ke to make it easier for visitors to Kenya to apply.
• All e-visas will be available within 48-72 hours upon application.
• For 60 days from September 1 both e-visa and visa on arrival will be available.
• e-visa kiosks will be available at the JKIA-Nairobi and MIA-Mombasa to process e-visas for Tourists and other deserving visitors
• Please note that this is still work in progress and the Director of Immigration has been very open to positive suggestions and ways to make this better….
• See the link below for more updates on this     https://www.facebook.com/mohammed.hersi2010/posts/10153556487237422

Please also note that soon all other Immigration services including the application of Work Permits, Passes and the Alien Card will go online….this is most likely to be in September.

watch this space for more updates soon

Immigration issues

In the world of mobile telephony today two operating systems are virtually in every person’s mind and mouth: Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android mobile operating systems. Both operating systems are great for the users depending on the devices you own. The merits or demerits of both aside, these mobile devices operating systems have one thing in common: They get regular updates with superior capabilities to handle any emerging challenges based on user experiences.
If my facts are right ,the latest version of Apple’s iOS is 8.4 while Android is 5.0….you may wonder what has his to do with Immigration? As many people will agree, the world is moving at a high speed and bringing along new challenges and ways of doing things….people are now moving around the world in many more ways than before….wherever there are people moving across the globe,then issues of Immigration crop up…. Countries around the world are grappling with issues to do with immigration…in fact elections are won or lost due to the Immigration debates in some countries: The US and UK are good example of countries struggling with issues of Immigration. Kenya too has enough shares of immigration related challenges.
I must say that Kenya has some of the most recent laws and regulations governing Immigration in Africa and the world…it is also true that the practice of Immigration  is much more modern and progressive in Kenya than it is many other countries in Africa. That is not to say there are no challenges! No! In fact we have many challenges as well. As someone that has worked with Immigration department in Kenya for over 9 years and now working on corporate immigration practice side, I have a good view of how it is like on either side.
Immigration officials have a job to do as per the applicable laws while the corporate world needs immigration services as per their business needs. On many fronts these interests don’t quite agree yet looking at the mission of Kenya Immigration Department there is every intent to address the corporates needs on Immigration….the facilitation of the socio-economic development of the country through regulation of exit, entry and residency is indeed a testament that Immigration is a balance between regulation and facilitation.
One of the questions that I keep answering almost every day from my corporate clients or potential investors seeking to start their offices in Kenya is the need to identify Kenyan understudies for all employee work permits applications in what is commonly referred to as Kenyanization. Although the origin of this concept was after independence and the intentions were to ensure that indigenous Kenyans who were obviously disadvantaged in terms of skills got jobs that were initially denied to them….there is need to start a debate as to the suitability of this requirements in 2015! That debate should be about the how and why of Kenyanization…
The truth of the matter is that now Kenyans are some of the most skilled folks in the world and many Kenyans are all over the world working as expatriates and at the top of their game….obviously every country must protect its interests and jobs for their citizens in areas where there are adequate skills. However, that has to be balanced with the commitment by the current regime to encourage foreign investments and many companies setting their regional hubs here. If for instance you take Equity Bank or Kenya Commercial Bank as an example, both have regional presence in the East Africa and if you look at most of their branches across the region, there are good numbers of Kenyans working in those branches… to ensure that their interests are protected as well as to infuse the corporate cultures in those branches….in most cases the same model is utilized by foreign companies setting up in Kenya.
This is not to say that we open our doors to all and sundry to come and work in Kenya: NO! we must ensure that in cases where Kenyans are competent to work then they should be given chances to work but we must also as a country realize that Kenya is now a big exporter of human capital just like those other countries who send expert to work in Kenya! It is a two way traffic. I remember there was a huge hue and cry when South Sudan threatened to expel Kenyans working there not to mention the frequent complaints by Kenyans about hostility towards them in Tanzania.
I therefore believe that the government of Kenya needs to occasionally evaluate the various Immigration laws, regulations and policies with an intention to seal any loop holes that put the country at risk but also create more conducive environments for foreign investors to set up their companies to create more jobs, transfer skills and grow our economy. No country is self-sufficient and we cannot afford to frown at the world because we too can easily face similar treatment….the Kenya- South Africa Visa issues are still being looked into and is one example of how countries can engage each other to benefit their countries. The recent visit by President Obama also saw issues of Kenya-US Visa discussed.
As our president travels the world engaging other leaders and encouraging investors to set up in Kenya, the bureaucrats need to translate his talk into real operational policies and regulations to encourage investments into the country…just like iOS and Android keeps improving on their systems to address the ever emerging challenges, there is need to keep upgrading our policies, laws and regulations on Immigration and other related sectors.
I am looking forward to a discourse on how best to run our Immigration practice and the required upgrades to ensure that our interests as Kenyans are preserved without shutting the doors to foreigners who have good intentions of investing in Kenya.

http://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the-star.co.ke%2Fnews%2Fnew-online-tourist-visas-under-review&h=kAQG3Xmv9&enc=AZNYztUvACgmkEnsf-qU1ibif-Ntwltb-kWbK5yJijjXDLMxnqT2aZp71rrsyJAisVU&s=1

Many of my fans and followers have been asking me about the Kenyan Evisa. how effective the system is and how long does it take? Well my answer is that so far the system is working well. On average you should get your visa approved within 1 week but people must also realize that if you do not provide all documents required then your visa can as well be denied.

Please feel free to use the system but be keen to provide all the information as required and also attach required documents and photo.

About the Visa Nationals( those in the referred Visa regime) you still have to apply for your visa in the normal way and only when you have the letter of approval should you then go online and apply for the e visa to enable you travel.

People have also asked me about people that initially did not visa to enter Kenya…do they need to apply for the e visa? My answer is no…the Visa regimes have not changed, if you don’t need a visa just travel and you will be cleared the normal way.

I will keep interacting with Kenya Immigration officials to get further insights and keep you posted on this forum…keep checking good people.

Regards.

GMM

According to the press statement by Presidents Obama and Uhuru Kenyatta from Nairobi state house today the 25th July 2015, Kenyans going to the US will get up to 5 years Business/Students visa. Consequently Americans coming over for business will get up to 5 years Business/permits to manage their businesses better.

As an Immigration service provider, I am keen to see how this will roll out.

At the same time direct flights from Nairobi to the US may be a reality soon of course bearing mind that there are some basics to be sorted.

Watch this for more as this goes on

When H.E The President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta ordered for a crackdown on illicit brews in the country, he didn’t expect that the shenanigans in the name of MPs will hijack the process and unleash a reign of terror on so many legit business including such Kenyan brands like Keroche.

I watched with amazement as the Naivasha MP led goons to attempt to inspect Keroche industries! I couldn’t believe my eyes that a lawmaker would result to such anarchy in this time and age.

Although the president was right on alcoholism being fought, I don’t agree that Politicians were the right people to do this….there are bodies set by law to do this and its is shocking that it has to take the president for people to do what they are mandated to do! where has been NACAD, KEBS, the Kenya Police, provincial administration to mention just but a few?

I  must state that I don’t take anything alcoholic but i don’t pretend to judge anybody who does…..an anecdote is told in my place of a man that arrested for being drunk and paraded before a magistrate…upon being asked if he agrees to the charges he replied…yes I was drunk because beer is not water! I took to be drunk!

Whereas we need to have liquors of good quality, we can not entirely accuse those that produce good quality liquor for making people drunk because that is the reason its called alcohol…not water.

A lot of legit businesses have be completely shattered by hooligans that took over this exercise…rules of natural justice can not allow a law maker to be the one to implement it! The judiciary interprets the law and the executive implements through the state apparatus…surely this madness must be stopped by someone….I could see a lot of real legitimate fear in the eyes of Tabitha Karanja ( CEO Keroche Industries) as she resisted hooligans that wanted to attack her company, livelihood and huge investment.

Mr. president, please reign on these people killing other peoples dreams….and order the state apparatus to do their job of ensuring the illicit brews are off our shelves once and for all: that is how to run a country within the confines of the law sir.

Effective July 1, 2015, all persons from countries that require visa to enter Kenya will have to apply for it online from http://www.ecitizen.go.ke portal. One is required to register as a visitor and reactivate his/her account by uploading a passport size photo…thereafter he/she is able to apply for the visa and pay for it online using debit or credit cards. Once this is done one will get a print out with a reference number…this is what will be presented to Immigration officers at the port of entry for endorsement…please remember as usual a visa is not the authority to enter Kenya…an Immigration officer reserves the right of admission please! well they are nice all the time if you have the right documents!

Important to note is that the Government has granted a grace period of up to end of August 2015 where one can still get the visa manually at various points of entry and Kenyan Missions abroad. Starting September 1, only online visa application process will be operation.

In my view this is phenomenal in many ways: One for the first time the government will have an overview of all persons from visa nationals planning to come to Kenya! This is great if you think security….in any case this is the trend globally! Secondly, the cost of procuring the visa stickers will no longer exist meaning that the government will make quite substantial savings and obviously generate much more money from Forex. The visa system will be cashless process meaning that the chances of pilferage of government money is Zero…assuming online fraud is taken care of. In fact the temptation is no longer there even for officers

On the flip-side, there may be possibilities of some Kenya Missions abroad that thrived mostly of visa money having some liquidity issues and most likely scale down their staffing in the consular sections…well this is both good and bad…good to the Kenyan tax payers because of savings from reduction in Foreign service officers….but bad for government officers that saw some opportunities in serving as attaches in Foreign services.

As a matter of fact, this ecitizen initiative alongside the Huduma centres is what really epitomizes the Uhuruto government as digital…not in the talk or the never coming laptops for kids in primary schools. This has created a huge excitement in the international community as many people feel that Kenya is coming of age in public service….my boss who sits in London, after I took her through a tour of Immigration headquarters in Nyayo house this week, was amazed at how Kenya is making a lot of attempts to improve on service delivery…this whole evisa thing blew her off completely! That is the kind of experience that makes me very proud as a Kenyan.

Yes we have our own problems like any other country but we are doing a lot of good stuff!

As a former Immigration officer am also excited that my former colleagues who work day and night sometimes in very difficult conditions will be safe from the possibility of issuing a visa to the wrong person because I am assuming that once one applies online, the guys that we pay to snitch around will be able to to do so quickly and advise accordingly.

I am all smiles that finally Kenya is joining the league of nations where you don’t just walk in…isn’t that what all other countries make us do? well reciprocity is at times fair….well this has come late but still better than never.

I hope my optimism will not be killed by systems not working…I am alive to the fact that there will be some teething problems but we will fix them and forge ahead.

Well done to all those that came up with this idea

I know many people have written to me seeking various answers for their spouses on what to apply for them to confer residency. According to the constitution of Kenya 2010 article 45 confers the right to family and marriage to spouse of opposite sex. Section 11 of Cap 172 laws of Kenya ( Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011) provides for spouses of Kenyans acquiring citizenship by marriage while section 37 provides for acquisition of permanent residence based on marriage while section 36 provides for passes, including dependent passes for spouses of Kenyans as well. Section 27 (2) B. of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations 2012 specifies that a spouse of a Kenyan can be issued with a Dependent pass if they apply in the prescribed manner.

My view is that none of these provisions of the law talk of the gender of the spouse meaning that either a male or female spouse of a Kenyan qualifies. However, there has been some hesitation from some Immigration officials dealing with such applications when male spouses of Kenyans apply for Kenya Dependant Passes (KDPs). This is partly due to historical and security reasons. It is important to note Kenya Immigration may ask for more documents in support of such application and even call the said spouses for an interview to find out some more information that may be useful in helping in the issuance of the KDP. This should not be construed to mean that such applications are being declined….I know for obvious reasons, most African societies are patriarchal in nature and in most cases men are “not expected” to depend entirely on women for upkeep! This is not in the spirit nor in the letter of the law and therefore cannot be used to create bottlenecks to spouses of Kenyans.

This brings me to another point: There is need to consider creating a category of work Permit for spouses of Kenyans who choose to be on KDPs rather than Permanent residence (PR) or acquiring citizenship as spouses of Kenyans. However, the assumption is spouses of Kenyans should apply for  PR that allows them to work…the challenge with this is that one need to have been married for at least 3 years before they can apply for PR meaning that those who are newly wed cannot apply for this and KDP doesn’t allow them to work. It is therefore my personal view that we need to come up with a category of work Permit like the former class D to allow spouses of Kenyans to work in Kenya instead of being stay at home mums and dads as is the case with KDP holders.

I could be wrong but we at least need to accept that Kenyans, male or female will continue to marry foreign nationals who will opt to reside with their spouses in Kenya. So folks lets discuss this issues that is affecting a big number of Kenyans married to Foreign Nationals.