Expat exodus as Oman adds 5% charge to visa fee
The number of expatriates has dropped by 16.4% during the first nine months of this year as Oman is set to add 5% to expat visa fee to support a job fund.
According to the October bulletin of the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), a total of 263,392 workers of different nationalities left the Sultanate during the period from January to September this year.
Figures from NCSI showed that 1,449,406 expatriates were working in different sectors in the Sultanate till the end of September 2020 compared to 1,712,798 at the end of 2019.
The amount of five per cent will be added to employment visa fees issued and renewed for the non-Omani workforce
Oman's Ministry of Labour said the five per cent of expat work permit renewal fees will go towards funding the Job Security System (JSS) in the Sultanate, local media reported.
The charges for renewing expat work permits will be raised accordingly, an official at the ministry told local media.
"The amount of five per cent will be added to employment visa fees issued and renewed for the non-Omani workforce," the official said.
"This excludes special permits or private permits issued to employees working in households, such as drivers or housemaids, as well as those working on farms. For example, if the cost of the permit is right now 300 Omani riyals, then from early next year, it will cost 315 Omani riyals."
Oman's Ministry of Labour, in cooperation with the Oman Investment Authority, held a meeting with the executive heads of various government companies, to discuss replacement plans of the expatriate workforce with Omani cadres. The priority is employing Omanis in leadership and supervisory professions in government organisations.
The ministry of labour has initiated several steps to ensure jobs for the national workforce in the private as well as government sector. At the end of last week, the ministry has asked government companies "to expedite the replacement of expatriate workforce with nationals at all levels in general, and the specialists and technicians in particular".
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