High Commissioner H.E. Mr. Ali Hussain Didi made a call on the Controller General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, Mr. P. B. Abeykoon, to discuss on improvement of the visa procedures and its requirements for the benefit of Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka.

During the meeting which was held at the office of Mr. Abeykoon on the 18th February 2010, the High Commissioner raised the issue of appointing a guardian for a student whose immediate parents are not accompanied during the stay in Sri Lanka. Since the High Commission became aware of that the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka has suspended the service of issuing the guardian visa for those who are not the immediate parents of the student. With respect to the agreement which was signed between the governments of Maldives and Sri Lanka on the year 2008,  which states that a legal guardian who is appointed by the parents, may reside with the student in Sri Lanka, it was decided to introduce a “Guardian Declaration Form” to solve the issue.

The High Commissioner, H.E. Mr. Ali Hussain Didi, also raised the issue of obtaining the visa for the grandparents. High Commissioner mentioned that, culturally Maldivians live with the extended family; parents who seek to give education for the children from Sri Lanka have the difficulty of leaving their elderly parents alone in Maldives. And also occasions where the parent and the children are also obtaining the education from Sri Lanka, the presence of the grandparents become a necessity. Mr. Abeykoon promised to sort the issue in a near future, while highlighting the “My Dream Home” scheme which has been introduced for the elderly people and those who needs to stay in Sri Lanka for a long period, but does not fit in to the category of a student, guardian nor a dependent.