Malta Employers’ Association and Identity Malta team up to simplify residence permit information

A new collaboration agreement between Identity Malta Agency and the Malta Employers’ Association will result in employers and businesses in Malta being provided with simplified information about the hiring of foreign workers.

Through the agreement, employers will be kept updated on any changes related to the residence permit processes and other documents in the recruitment process of foreign workers from both EU and non-EU countries.

Identity Malta Agency CEO Colonel Mark Mallia and Malta Employers’ Association president Joanne Bondin signed a collaboration agreement at an event held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, allowing Identity Malta to provide up-to-date information on the processes related to residence permits.

As a result of this agreement, employers will have access to simplified and relevant information on the Meaindex.com digital platform, which is meant to guide employers.

The Malta Employers’ Association will keep its members up to date on changes in processes connected to the hiring of foreign workers, and this information will be easily accessible.

This agreement is part of two entities’ joint effort to make simplified information on the processes associated with residence permits available to the association’s members.

During this same event, Identity Malta Agency officials detailed the rigorous processes of applying for residence permits.

Thanks to a new flowchart, the employer will have clear guidelines to understand precisely what is required at each stage of the application process, the documents that must be submitted, the waiting period while the required application is being assessed, and which criteria are expected to be observed to speed up the application process.

Colonel Mallia emphasised that with this agreement, the agency and the organisation are continuing to work together to streamline processes for all organisations. Additionally, he described how the agency regularly meets with various social partners to listen to these stakeholders’ opinions.

He reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to providing businesses and employers with effective and secure ways to hire foreign workers while also preserving Malta’s security interests and the integrity of Malta’s immigration system.

Joseph Farrugia, director general of the MEA, declared that the organisation made various suggestions in November of last year. Among others, the MEA urged the Government to enhance regulatory organisations, so they can better meet the demand with greater effectiveness.

Ms Bondin stated that by signing this agreement, MEA is committing to continuing to serve as a bridge between employers and regulatory institutions, so that together they can continue to offer our country a competitive market in an increasingly dynamic economy that is presenting unprecedented challenges.

“Whether we agree or not, the country has reached a point where the country is unable to operate without importing foreign workers. It is the responsibility of all social partners to cooperate and work together to recognise and achieve the required balance in having both Maltese and foreign workers in the local labour market,” Ms Bondin concluded.