whereTOemigrate
Get your free results
SL country scene

ECOWAS Right of Residence for Employment

Sierra LeoneFree movement

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

Explore pathways in Sierra Leone Read the five questions ↓

Which citizenship, status or regional agreement creates the person's right to move/reside?

Nationality of a Member State of the Community: under Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/7/86 on the second phase (right of residence) of the Protocol on free movement of persons, the right of residence and establishment, each Member State shall grant to citizens of the Community who are nationals of other Member States the right of residence in its territory for the purpose of seeking and carrying out income-earning employment.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    SUPPLEMENTARY PROTOCOL A/SP.1/7/86 ON THE SECOND PHASE (RIGHT OF RESIDENCE) OF THE PROTOCOL ON FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS, THE RIGHT OF RESIDENCE AND ESTABLISHMENT
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    For the purpose of implementing the second phase (right of residence) of the Protocol on free movement of persons, the right of residence and establishment, each of the Member States shall grant to citizens of the Community who are nationals of other Member States, the right of residence in its territory for the purpose of seeking and carrying out income earning employment.

Under which circumstances can the person reside: worker, self-employed, student, jobseeker, self-funded person or another recognised basis?

Residence is employment-based: except for restrictions justifiable on grounds of public order, public security and public health, the right of residence includes the right to apply for jobs effectively offered, to travel freely in the territory of Member States for this purpose, and to reside in a Member State to take up employment in accordance with the provisions governing employment of national workers. It does not apply to employment in the civil service of Member States unless the host Member State's national laws and regulations so permit.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    With the exception of restrictions justifiable by reasons of public order, public security and public health, the right of residence shall include the right: 1. to apply for jobs effectively offered; 2. to travel for this purpose, freely, in the territory of Member States; 3. to reside in one of the Member States in order to take up employment in accordance with the legislative and administrative provisions governing employment of national workers;
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    The provisions of Article 3 above shall not be applicable to employment in the civil service of Member States, unless the relevant national laws and regulations of the Host Member States so permit.

What entry, registration or residence-document formalities remain?

Community citizens admitted without a visa into a Member State who wish to reside there must obtain an ECOWAS residence card or a residence permit. The applicant deposits the application with the Department of Immigration of the host Member State in accordance with that state's rules and regulations; the application is addressed to the competent Ministry of the host Member State, and the applicant is issued a receipt certifying that the application and necessary documents were submitted.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Sierra Leone's own rules and regulations for the residence card/permit application (documents, fees, processing time) are not in the captured sources.
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    Citizens of the Community who are nationals of Member States admitted without visa into the territory of one Member State and desiring to reside in the territory of that Member State, shall be obliged to obtain an ECOWAS RESIDENCE CARD or a RESIDENCE PERMIT
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    The applicant for the RESIDENCE CARD or RESIDENCE PERMIT in the territory of any Member State, shall deposit with the Department of Immigration of the host Member State, an application for a Residence Card or Residence Permit in accordance with the rules and regulations existing in each Member State.
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    1 The application shall be addressed to the competent Ministry of the Host Member State. 2 The applicant shall be issued with a receipt certifying that his application and the necessary documents have been submitted.

Which non-member-country family members can accompany or join, and what broad rights do they receive?

The protocol refers to migrant workers and members of their families, but the official provisions do not specify which non-ECOWAS family members qualify to accompany or the family members’ work rights.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The protocol leaves host-state conditions, family eligibility and permanent-residence continuity to applicable provisions or does not specify them in the captured clauses.

When do permanent/long-term rights arise and what continuity, absence or retention conditions matter?

The protocol does not establish a general permanent-residence period. It says that after employment the person may live in the host state according to the host state’s legislative and administrative provisions.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The protocol leaves host-state conditions, family eligibility and permanent-residence continuity to applicable provisions or does not specify them in the captured clauses.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

Explore more pathways in Sierra Leone · All pathways

Your story.
Your next step.

Explore pathways in Sierra Leone →