The visa, which costs $500, allows international visitors aged 18-years and over to remain in Sri Lanka for up to one year, during which they can legally work remotely, rent property and open bank accounts.
Under House Bill 501, 'employees of the Transportation Cabinet shall not be permitted to telecommute unless specifically exempted by the Secretary of the Transportation Cabinet.' This provision was vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear but was overridden by the legislature.
"Shortly after access was terminated, we began receiving extortion demands. The criminals threatened to distribute materials from both the February 2025 incident and the recent incident to media outlets and on social media if we did not comply. We will not pay these criminals," Percoco stated.
The ruling closes a tax 'loophole' that could have cost the government billions of dollars as more employers adopt hybrid work models, with employees working partly or fully from home.
