- Malta's immigration authority has outlined the specific conditions under which a foreigner's long-stay visa can be cancelled
- Visa holders who breach the terms of their stay, including engaging in unauthorised work, risk having their visa pulled immediately
- Foreigners whose visas are revoked must leave Malta right away or face legal action, including a possible entry ban
Malta's immigration authority, Identità, has published the circumstances under which the Maltese government can revoke or annul a long-stay visa held by a foreign national living in the country.
According to the Central Visa Unit, there are five main grounds on which Maltese authorities can cancel a long-stay visa.
Source: Getty Images
Malta: Conditions that can trigger visa revocation
1. The first is the discovery of false or misleading information, whether submitted during the application process or at any point thereafter.
2. A visa can also be cancelled if the holder fails to comply with the terms attached to their stay. This includes situations where a person engages in employment or activities that fall outside the scope of what their visa permits.
3. Matters of public safety form another basis for revocation. If Maltese authorities determine that the continued presence of a visa holder poses a risk to public security, public order, or the national interest, they reserve the right to cancel the visa.
4. A significant change in the holder's personal circumstances can also lead to cancellation, particularly where those changes mean the individual no longer qualifies for the purpose for which the visa was originally granted.
5. Finally, a visa holder may themselves request that their own visa be revoked.
What happens after Maltese Visa is revoked?
Once a decision to revoke or annul a visa has been made, the affected individual is formally notified in writing. From that point, the person is no longer authorised to remain in Malta and is required to leave the country without delay, unless the authorities specify otherwise.
Failure to depart after receiving such a notice can result in legal consequences, including the possibility of an entry ban that would prevent the individual from returning to Malta in the future.
For applicants whose visa applications are refused rather than revoked, Maltese law provides a right of appeal. The applicant has 15 days from the date of the final decision to lodge an appeal, which is submitted directly to the Immigration Appeals Board, an autonomous judicial body operating independently of the visa authority.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng