KENYA – Additional Requirements for Work Permits
The Kenyan Department of Immigration Services (DIS) has recently published an updated list of documents that must accompany the application of each type of Kenyan work permit. Specifically, the Class D work permits have gained many more requirements. Class D work permits are granted to foreign workers employed by a specific employer and sponsored by a Kenyan entity. The Kenyan sponsor must prove that a Kenyan worker could not be recruited for the position for which the foreign worker is applying to fill. Applicants are now required to submit the following information: the name of a Kenyan understudy; certified copies of his/her academic certificates; and his/her full contact details, including address, email, and mobile phone number. It should be noted that a failure to submit complete information may result in the application’s rejection by the DIS. This tightening of requirements follows a movement towards localizing the labor force and attempting to have Kenyan workers take over jobs currently held by foreign workers.