Difference Between Visa and Work Permit

Visa vs Work Permit

The difference between visa and work permit is that visa is a document acquired by an individual to enter a specific country whereas work permit is an employment letter issued by an employer to the employee needed for entering the country. Visa is issued by the immigration authorities present at the immigration office and the immigration official reserves the rights to allow the person to enter the country. Work permit on the other hand is issued by a national or international company that outsource in other countries to hire professionals or other technical staff etc.
Different countries have different types of visas and visa categories. Generally, there are two types of visas such as immigrant and non immigrant visa. Non immigrant visa includes categories like business, visit, tourist or study visa. Immigration visa is acquired when the person desires to live in that country for a longer period of time. The immigrant visa allows the immigrant to acquire residence and work. It requires renewal after a couple of years. Work permit, therefore, is issued to an individual who wants to stay in the country and work for the related company. However, its duration is shorter than the immigrant visa. The work permit holder is required to renew his documents before it expires.
Some of the countries in the world have strict visa policies such as United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia and UAE. Job seekers and professionals look forward to migrate to these countries for future prospective. Some of the countries in the world have become famous for their hot tourist attractions such as India, Switzerland and Thailand. Visa processing related to tourism or business categories is much easier to obtain than for immigration purposes. Different countries apply different rules and regulations on the visa and work permit documents. Visa renewal becomes another serious problem related matter if it is not acquired within the said time limit set by the country.
According to the law of the country, the person carrying a work permit or visa document can move anywhere in the country freely. Some countries give a limited access to their visa holders such as Saudi Umra/Hajj Visa, Indian Visa, Israeli Visa and some African Visas which put limitations on the movement of their visitors. Immigration visas are much desirable for the people who wish to get settled in a foreign country and avail of all the benefits like the locals there such as insurance, medical, scholarships and social security etc. The immigration policies differ from country to country. Visa for the hard target immigration countries are much more expensive and hard to obtain.
Work permits are somewhat of a lower level in payback rather than the immigration, businessmen and study visas. Work permit does not allow the individual to change the job or the company. A job can only be changed by leaving the country and coming back again with another work permit. Another difference between visa and work permit is that a work permit is issued at no cost to the professionals by the employer or company. Some of the multinational companies facilitate their employees with visa, tickets and processing fees etc.
Summary:
1. A Visa is a travel document to enter into the country whereas a work permit is a job authorization letter from any company.
2. Visa and work permit expiry and renewal need very critical attention.
3. Immigration visas, businessmen and study visas have greater benefits than work permit but they are more expensive.
4. Work permits are distributed free. Some companies would even pay all the expenses for their qualified employees.
5. Immigrant visa holders can apply for citizenship in accordance with law of the country.

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