2 year ban on expats trying to switch jobs in muscat

Hello,

While the company you intend to join has told you that they will get your visa clearance before July 1, you will still be running a huge risk.

What for some reason your prospective employer fails to get the required clearance ? Then you will be stuck for a minimum period of 2 years and finding a job back in Oman would become a bigger challenge when you are out of the country.

Also you must be aware that the authorities keep changing rules and making new amendments to the existing rules at the drop of a hat. Given the current uncertain scenario, nothing is certain or can be considered as confirmed until and unless you get your new employment visa in your hand.

Best of luck !

Muscat: The Ministry of Manpower said it has not yet decided whether expatriates who obtain a "no objection certificate (NoC)" from the current employer can work for another sponsor. "We are looking into this matter," said a ministry official.

Confirming the announcement made by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Sunday, the official said, "Employment visa will not be issued for a foreigner who previously worked in the Sultanate and has not completed two years from the date of last departure."

In response to media reports doing the rounds that there will be a ban on changing sponsors in the Sultanate, effective June 1, the Ministry of Manpower denied the report in a statement released through its Twitter account.

garyberg wrote:

Muscat: The Ministry of Manpower said it has not yet decided whether expatriates who obtain a "no objection certificate (NoC)" from the current employer can work for another sponsor. "We are looking into this matter," said a ministry official.

Confirming the announcement made by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Sunday, the official said, "Employment visa will not be issued for a foreigner who previously worked in the Sultanate and has not completed two years from the date of last departure."

In response to media reports doing the rounds that there will be a ban on changing sponsors in the Sultanate, effective June 1, the Ministry of Manpower denied the report in a statement released through its Twitter account.

The Ministry of Manpower has decided about the NoC as well.

See the newspaper report published today in the Muscat Daily, below :

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) confirmed on Sunday that a ban would come into effect from June 1, 2014 on the transference of employment by expatriate workers from one company to another via issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by their previous employer. 

This ban is in addition to the application of existing rules for expatriate workers whereby they will be banned from re-employment in the sultanate for a period of two years after their departure. The ROP said that the two-year visa ban would come into effect from July 1, 2014.

A senior ROP official said, Expatriate workers have to complete two years outside after leaving a job in order to get a new work visa to return and work in Oman. It does not matter how many years they have been working in the sultanate.

Officials also said that companies in Oman could no longer transfer expatriate staff between themselves by issuing NOCs, and that expatriates were required to depart the country upon the cessation of their current employment.

This decision aims at protecting employers and at the same time will help avoid mistreatment of expatriate employees, said the official.

Mr. Sumitran thanks a lot for the infornatio.

@garyberg. I do not understand, these seem to be two conflicting reports...Ministry of Manpower is denying about the ban on changing sponsors but RoP is confirming.

Is there a helpline or something to clear these doubts?

Sumitran wrote:

garyberg wrote:

Muscat: The Ministry of Manpower said it has not yet decided whether expatriates who obtain a "no objection certificate (NoC)" from the current employer can work for another sponsor. "We are looking into this matter," said a ministry official.

Confirming the announcement made by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Sunday, the official said, "Employment visa will not be issued for a foreigner who previously worked in the Sultanate and has not completed two years from the date of last departure."

In response to media reports doing the rounds that there will be a ban on changing sponsors in the Sultanate, effective June 1, the Ministry of Manpower denied the report in a statement released through its Twitter account.

The Ministry of Manpower has decided about the NoC as well.

See the newspaper report published today in the Muscat Daily, below :

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) confirmed on Sunday that a ban would come into effect from June 1, 2014 on the transference of employment by expatriate workers from one company to another via issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by their previous employer. 

This ban is in addition to the application of existing rules for expatriate workers whereby they will be banned from re-employment in the sultanate for a period of two years after their departure. The ROP said that the two-year visa ban would come into effect from July 1, 2014.

A senior ROP official said, Expatriate workers have to complete two years outside after leaving a job in order to get a new work visa to return and work in Oman. It does not matter how many years they have been working in the sultanate.

Officials also said that companies in Oman could no longer transfer expatriate staff between themselves by issuing NOCs, and that expatriates were required to depart the country upon the cessation of their current employment.

This decision aims at protecting employers and at the same time will help avoid mistreatment of expatriate employees, said the official.

As always, the rules pertaining to labour laws and residency status keep changing at the drop of the hat ... Oman has done it yet again !

In today's newspapers the law regarding NoC has been changed from what was published in the newspaper yesterday :

"Oman expatriate labour ban: Expats with NOCs able to join new jobs" - read all about it here :

http://www.timesofoman.com/News/33731/A … n-new-jobs

Muscat Daily's news item now says this "LACK OF CLARITY CONTINUES OVER DECISION ON TWO YEAR VISA BAN ON EXPATRIATE WORKERS WHO CHANGE JOBS IN OMAN" !!

http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Oman … -Oman-35c4

"Whether as a reaction to the widespread dissatisfaction with the decision, which could be primarily interpreted as a serious blow to worker's rights, or the result of miscommunication, at the time of going to press, it seems that expatriates can continue to change jobs 'as per the legal procedures and regulations applicable in this regard'.

This is now being translated as an expatriate being able to shift jobs if he receives a no-objection certificate (NOC) from his current employer."

We'll have to wait until Thursday to read the updated status report in the weekly tabloids like The Week, Hi! and Y on this much debated and discussed issue concerning all expatriates.

On the whole, this new move from the Royal Oman Police (ROP), Ministry of Manpower (MoM) and other allied departments of the government have successfully complicated the communication, resulting in widespread confusion amongst the 1.53 million expatriates employed in Oman today.

Thanks again Sumitran, there is so much confusion in this matter. I hope there is some clarity on it soon.

BTW I believe we are in the same job sector/industry.

Thanks
Faisal

faisikram wrote:

Thanks again Sumitran, there is so much confusion in this matter. I hope there is some clarity on it soon.

BTW I believe we are in the same job sector/industry.

Thanks
Faisal

Hi faisikram,

Wait until tomorrow for the tabloids to be distributed. I am sure all of them will carry about the new rules which are perhaps one of the most widely discussed topics in recent history in this country, as the main story.

Hopefully the tabloids would do justice to this rather serious subject and would discuss the issue threadbare. At least that's my hope !

hi sumitran

Thanks for info. Appreciate it.

Lucky me... I came to muscat on september 2012, but i wasn't happy with my work and i got new job and change sponsor on december 2012 until now. I heard about that new rulles.

If offer is good then change it asap and request your future company to process visa before 1st July 2014.

Am I the only one who feels dense about this topic?? I don't understand how, oh HOW this new rule will "protect the mistreatment of expats". Think of all the laborers (such as housemaids, shop workers, etc.) who want to change jobs -- either their sponsor or the type of job itself -- but now their sponsor can simply say, "No way! If you leave me, you have to stay away for 2 years!" Most of these laborers have families depending on them, and they can't stay away from their jobs here for 2 years......and their sponsors know this! So the workers are STUCK with their sponsors, who will now have even more power and control over their workers. Can't the sponsors and/or bosses simply abuse workers MORE?.......and now say, "If you don't like it, then you have to leave for 2 years! Ha-ha!"  Am I misunderstanding this completely?? Please tell me my interpretation of this new ruling is wrong!

Dont worry it will change after 6 month

Dear All
Greetings!!!!!
Please let me know one thing that its means now if we have to work in Oman then we have to work with only one company for a life time other wise we have to go back to our country, now every thing depends upon sponsor if he want he will increase our salary other wise if we will ask he can say please go back to yours country & enjoy, this rule is not good, it has to be change, every one is looking for a new opportunity & if he has completed his two years contract then he can choose that on which company he wants to work. Other wise we have to go back & then again we have to search a new job in our country, its always take time

Regards
Akhil

Is this rule is for the sponsor also that if some one is going for clearance after completing his two years contract then he will also not get a visa for two years, will be waiting for an reply

Regards
Akhil

Hi sumitran my company applied for visa on June 12 so is it possible to get the visa after July 1st also as they have informed that it takes around 25 days. Please intimate me about this

I heard from some source not yet confirmed that the 2 year ban for expatriate most probably cancelled.

hi please someone tell me that can i get a new employment visa after july 1st as my visa proceeesing is going on since june 12 . i have exited the coun try on dec 2013. thanx

please someone update me about the earlier blog

guys if anyone has a clarified idea  , i will be highly obligated to one and all for the earlier post . please intimate me soon

thanx ajay

Hi Ajay,

You don't need to post several times.
One post is enough and please open a new thread.

Thanks
Armand
Expat.com Team

hey folks wassup any updates please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh sorry!!!!!!!!!!!111   but send me any updates yaar!

cmon sumitran plz update us

any replies buddies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello ajay1383

As suggested previously by our Team member Armand, you do not need to post several times. One post is enough, and please give our members some time to come back to you.

Sometimes they just do not have all the answers to your questions, and I kindly invite you to create a new thread with specific questions so that we can help you out.

Regards

Kenjee

please do not advice the same thing again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ajay1383 wrote:

please do not advice the same thing again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please understand what kenjee has stated in his post. If you continue to keep this up you are likely to get banned by the moderators. Thank you for your understanding.

Hi
I m civil engineer.
now I continue my job . Next 27/8/2015 visa validity will expire. Last one month ago I had enjoyed my leave.  But I want to change my company after visa expire. After visa expire need any noc?

If visa expires need noc for change company?

firoz014 wrote:

If visa expires need noc for change company?

Hi,

Once visa expire, you are no longer attached to any sponsor / company.

So there/s no question of an NoC

You're on your own.

Thanks

Hi
few days ago new rules published by rop that 2 days or 2 years complete no matter for company change need noc from previous employer otherwise need 2 years outside of oman. They can return only by tourist, investor visa. I need to clear that rules who knows please  explain to me.
Thank you.

if u have worked for 2 days or even 2 years u still will be banned from coming to oman for another 2 years unless until u have been issued NOC from your present sponsor. however if u have not been issued an NOC u can still come oman on tourist visa or investor visa.

hi
am previous worked in oman for 1 1/2 years.after job termination by am sent back to india, recently i got job opportunity to come back to oman, but my visa was rejected for incomplete of 2years in oman previously,now new company  PRO asking NOC certificate and AUTHORISED SIGNATURE PAPER from previous company to further process of visa. pls describe is NOC  from  company HR or omani sponser in which language ENGLISH or ARABIC and AUTHORISED SIGNATURE PAPER means wht

pls suggest

Mathimohan90 wrote:

hi
am previous worked in oman for 1 1/2 years.after job termination by am sent back to india, recently i got job opportunity to come back to oman, but my visa was rejected for incomplete of 2years in oman previously,now new company  PRO asking NOC certificate and AUTHORISED SIGNATURE PAPER from previous company to further process of visa. pls describe is NOC  from  company HR or omani sponser in which language ENGLISH or ARABIC and AUTHORISED SIGNATURE PAPER means wht

pls suggest

Hi Mathimohan90,

Again, for the benefit of the other forum users, here comes my earlier comments :

The 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) is given by a former employer stating that they have no objections to someone else hiring their former employee.

The problem is when an employer gives an NOC to a former employee, the company will lose the labour clearance they have for that job.

And they cannot hire another expatriate for that position. That vacancy then gets reserved for an Omani only.

That is one of the main reasons why companies do not give NOCs to their former employees.

Good luck to you.

Hi i was working in Oman and my sponsor has to stop the business as there was no business. Can i stay in oman until the end of that visa without joining another company in the same visa?

Reliable Travels and Tours Sri lanka wrote:

Hi i was working in Oman and my sponsor has to stop the business as there was no business. Can i stay in oman until the end of that visa without joining another company in the same visa?

As long as the visa is not cancelled, one can stay on as the visa is valid.