Employers new to hiring Indian manpower for the GCC often ask why the process takes 2 to 3 months. The answer: a fixed sequence of government approvals that cannot be skipped or parallelised beyond a point. Here is exactly where the time goes.
The Complete GCC Hiring Sequence
- Week 1–2: Demand letter & power of attorney — Your demand letter, POA and employment contract are attested and registered with the Indian embassy in your country
- Week 2–4: Sourcing & trade testing — Candidates are sourced, screened and trade-tested; you interview and approve the shortlist
- Week 4–6: MOFA approval — Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs application authorises visa issuance for the approved workers
- Week 6–8: GAMCA medical — Each worker completes the mandatory GAMCA (now Wafid) medical examination at an approved centre in India
- Week 8–10: Visa stamping — Passports are submitted for visa stamping at the embassy or through the authorised processing centre
- Week 10–12: Emigration clearance & travel — Indian emigration clearance (POE) is obtained and workers fly to your site
What Can Slow the Process Down
- Incomplete or un-attested demand documents (the most common delay)
- MOFA quota issues on the employer side
- GAMCA medical failures requiring replacement candidates
- Visa stamping backlogs during peak seasons (before Ramadan and Haj)
How We Compress the Timeline
Taha Airwaves runs document collection, trade testing and medical scheduling in parallel wherever the sequence allows. Staged batching means your first workers can be flying while later groups are still in visa processing — critical for large requirements.
Faster Alternatives: Russia & Europe
If your project timeline cannot absorb a 2-3 month process, note that deployment to Russia and European countries takes just 1 to 45 days, as those destinations do not require MOFA approval or GAMCA medicals.
Start Early
The single best thing an employer can do is start the process 3 months before workers are needed on site. Contact our team with your requirement and we will map the exact timeline for your destination country.
