To All Applicants,
The Ministry is indeed glad to be of assistance to you with your Employment Visa applications.
To ensure that the processing time is shorter, this checklist has been put together to help you furnish the necessary information and documents required for the processing of your application.
Please note that delays are mostly caused by your failure to provide ALL requisite information and documents. At present, processing time is 14 working days or less for those applications all requirements.
Central to our decision to either support/reject your application is the issue of skills gap in the country and the ability of the industry to absorb more non-citizen labour at the expense of the local counterparts.
To this extent, we will pursue views and comments of relevant government ministries and relevant organizations and associations on this matter. Please also enquire with us whether the line of work you request is open to foreigners and not reserved for locals only. For more information, please ring 23688 (Kolotia Fotu or Ane Telefoni) or email
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or
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Document Requirements for New Applications:
1. Valid personal passport or copy of relevant passport pages
2. Authentic Education/Training Certificates or Transcripts – copies need to be certified;
3. Letter from Employer providing reasons for the need to employ/reemploy applicant(s) in organization/business, current status of business, and total number of employees (locals and non-citizens), and any other documents you think will assist us assess applications;
4. Completed Employment Contact Agreement with employer in Tonga. Please note that one of our core requirement for the terms and conditions of the contract requires that the employer is responsible for return air ticket(s) at the end of contract or upon termination of contract;
5. Completed standard visa application form;
6. Evidence of appropriate past and present work experience (original or certified)
7. Evidence that the employing business has a valid business license;
8. Evidence that the company has been paying Income Tax for the applicant and/ or Consumption Tax Registration Number of the Employing Company;
9. Copy of Company’s Foreign Investment Certificate (foreign owned companies only);
10. Letter of support from relevant Ministry/Department like Ministry of Education for teacher, Ministry of Tourism for Tourism business and Fisheries for boat captains, engineers etc. ……………………………………………………………………………………………....
Requirements for Renewals/Extensions
1. All of the above except Nos. 2 and 6 Please note that the Ministry of Labour, Commerce & Industries will need to visit work sites and business to collect necessary information required for decision making.
The above checklist is for the purpose of obtaining a letter of support from the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries. The issuance or otherwise of an employment visa is at the sole discretion of the Immigration Department. The checklist for application for an employment visa by the Immigration Department may be viewed here.
