Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration is poised to make a decision on reinstating online tourist visas after a court suspended the service provided by the private consortium IVS-GBS and VFS Global.
According to Aruna newspaper, Controller General of Immigration Harsha Illukpitiya stated that the court order is expected to reach him on Monday, and a decision will be made subsequently. The Department is currently reviewing the situation.
State-run Dinamina reported that the Ministry of Public Security is set to deliberate on the issue on August 6.
The suspension of the online visa service followed a Supreme Court ruling that annulled a cabinet decision granting the contract to the private consortium. The court ordered the restoration of the previous system pending the resolution of public interest petitions. The controversial contract, awarded without a public tender, had led to increased visa fees in addition to government charges.
Currently, the Immigration Department is issuing on-arrival visas manually at the airport.