Work visa time line and affixation to passport

Morning thickhead, Visa needs to be obtained from the Libyan Visa office in the country where your company applied for the visa, If you are UK based and they applied for the visa to be issued in UK, then only the London office will be able to issue it.
Timelines are a bit uncertain at the moment as there are delays in issuing visa's, depending on the strength of your company's contacts, it may take a few more weeks.
OB

Thanks OB for your input. Its a new oil company and things are moving really slow. For example, Interview was held in mid October in London. Then there was Hajj period due to which the process got delayed. The medicals were asked for in mid December and by the time these were completed, it was festive season and the new Year holidays. Looks like some where in February I reckon.

It took me more than 6 months, but that was an extreme case, so go for anything less than that and think yourself lucky.

I was asked for to submit the copy of my passport on 12 Dec 2010, and I provided them with a translated copy. There is an employment agency that is processing the applications along with HR of oil company. It took you 6 months to get the work visa approval, does it include the time consumed after interview and including medicals? I rang the HR and the guy said that the case has already been submitted to Libyan immigration but he did not know the time frame. Your time line please? Thanks

Are you sure they are applying for a work visa, this is rather unusual for a mobilization visa, it's usually a business visa for the first trip or two.

The employment agency and the HR state that they have applied for my visa which I assumed a work visa. I was given the copy of visa form during my interview which I had filled in mid October. They asked a few questions later through email like the name of both parents. Any thoughts?

It is likely to be just a business visa. There were problems with Immigration last month, they didn't issue any for a couple of weeks so the chances are you are stacked up in the queue.
Are you coming as a consultant or direct hire ? There have been many consultant contracts terminated lately, particularly with the NOC Companies.

Thanks horizontal for your comments.
I was shortlisted by a UK company and present to the employer in Tripoli who interviewed me in London in mid October. The employer also ran a recruitment campaign in Canada in November last. Seems that all the selected staff would now be waiting for their visa. I have been selected for staff engineer role in Tripoli. I am sure all the formalities have been completed like medicals etc in addition to letters from employers (asked for last week) by the recruitment agency who now have established a sub office in Tripoli. If it is called a business visa to mobilize to Libya, does it mean that the work permit has already been approved?

The quota position may have been approved already, but you don't get the work permit until you've passed the medical in Libya.