Delay in Visa post Labour Clearance

Hi All,

I have an offer of Manager from one of the Insurance Cos. in Muscat. The offer was accepted in Feb'14;however my potential employer had asked me to resign only post receipt of my labor clearance. I had received the labor clearance in April and I resigned in April based on my potential employer's email to do so and I was told that I shall receive my Visa/Air Tickets in a weeks time. However till date I have yet not got my Visa....

I was told that the Co. is facing some problem in getting visa for me and in that connection they wanted to re-interview me. Hence I had a VC Interview around a month back; but still I have yet not got my Visa.....I am sending them reminder emails every week but they have stopped responding for last 2 weeks now.

I am done with my notice period in my previous employer and now I am at home for almost 2 months now. Can someone throw some light on this or suggest me a way forward...

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

This seems to be a pretty tricky one and no one is able to reply till date.

Can you throw some light my query...

Thanks in Advance

Spyata wrote:

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

This seems to be a pretty tricky one and no one is able to reply till date.

Can you throw some light my query...

Thanks in Advance


Hello Spyata,

I am sorry to hear of the delay in your employment visa processing.

Delays are quite common. But since you have already resigned your job and are now without a job your case is more serious.

Unfortunately, there is nothing really that you can do about this - except wait it out - as long as you do get the employment visa. Speak to your prospective employer and ask them for some assurance that you will get the visa. Explain your predicament and make them aware that it is because of them.

If they are now not responding to you as you say, then it obviously means that they are also clueless and don't have any answer for your queries.

Better for you to look around locally and get yourself a job first. Then see if the visa comes through.

Perhaps the company has gone low on their Omanisation percentage since offering you the job and hence have some issues with getting your employment visa. This could be the most likely reason in my opinion.

Don't bank too much on this job now and start
looking for another job.

Good luck to you.

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

Thanks for your views.

Do you have any idea as to whether the Labor Clearance has any validity?

Further, is it a common practice of re-interviewing post labor clearance coz I was interviewed only by the CEO (who unfortunately is no more with the organization) before my labor clearance was received. the re-interview was taken by a panel of 4 senior personnel....

Dear Spyata, Is there any progress in your case?

Just got an email from my Placement that they were in touch with my HR last week and said they will revert within a weeks time....

Not sure what would be their reply.....

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

Further to your reply dated 21st July 2014 where you had stated the Company might have gone low in Omanisation seems to be untrue since I am surprised to understand from my industry colleagues in India that they are also being interviewed parallelly for the same position.

This seems to be a case of cheating. My labor clearance had received the company had asked me to resign. Now I am home for the past 3 months now.

Can you or someone guide me the further way out. Is there a point in taking this case to the Indian embassy / Oman Embassy in India or Muscat or please suggest me a route to get the compensation for the loss I am incurring in this last 3 months and so on...

Hi Spyata,

Things happening like this are sadly quite common. That is why it is absolutely imperative that until and unless you receive the employment visa in your hand you should not resign from your employment - in the hope that your 'employment visa is in the mail'.

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do sitting in India, with the company who promised you the job is here in Oman. Do you have any other official documents to prove that the company has given you some sort of a written undertaking to offer you employment ? Do you have a signed, sealed official appointment order with you to support you claim - which clearly states that you can resign from your present employment and that they will be sending you the employment visa in due course ?

Unlike in India, here there is no strong consumer forum here where you can take your complaint to. However the Ministry of Manpower and the Indian Embassy are supposed to look into all employee-employer related issues. But for that you should be here and should have been employed. Given your circumstances, getting any compensation from the company that promised you the job would be near impossible.

If the employer is still shopping around for other candidates for the same position, then it is quite obvious that they have stopped considering you for that job. Perhaps they are bargaining for a lesser package with the other candidates.

In case if someone is willing to talk to you from the prospective employer's side then you should ask them to tell you frankly if you should wait any longer for the job or not.

Best of luck to you.

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

Thanks for your prompt revert.

I have an Offer Letter bearing the seal and stamp of the Authorised personnel of the prospective company. Besides, I have the copy of the labor clearance (in Arabic) which I had insisted to email it to me before I resign. Further I have a written confirmation in the form of email where the company had asked me to resign and that the visa will be sent to me in due course....

I had spoken about 3 weeks back to them and they had asked me to keep looking for options back in India as well since they are finding it difficult to arrange for my visa with the fast changing immigration rules.

Hello Spyata,

For what it's worth, try approaching your nearest Oman Embassy with all the documents that you have and state your case. See if they can offer you some solution.

As mentioned by your prospective employer, getting labour clearance for companies here is indeed a huge challenge these days. The clear mandate of the government is to significantly reduce the number of expatriates in the workforce so as to divert all those job opportunities for the locals.

Wishing you all the very best.

Dear Sumitran,

The HR submitted the documents of my husband on october 22 for working in a College of Technology as English teacher in Oman, we keep contact with the College and they told us that according with the answer of the HR my husband is approval (because other person , candidate at the same time of my husband was not appproval, and they were notified)... they told us that HR told them that at least in three days He would obtain the visa, but it was almost two weeks ago. we are very worry because we resigned to our Jobs according with the conversation with the college.

They had a meeting with a Senior member of the Ministry and they explain the situation becuause they need the teacher in january for starting academic calendar.. this is normal? How long time takes this issue? thank you so much and excuseme for my bad English I am native from Spanish!

Ángelaexpoman wrote:

Dear Sumitran,

The HR submitted the documents of my husband on october 22 for working in a College of Technology as English teacher in Oman, we keep contact with the College and they told us that according with the answer of the HR my husband is approval (because other person , candidate at the same time of my husband was not appproval, and they were notified)... they told us that HR told them that at least in three days He would obtain the visa, but it was almost two weeks ago. we are very worry because we resigned to our Jobs according with the conversation with the college.

They had a meeting with a Senior member of the Ministry and they explain the situation becuause they need the teacher in january for starting academic calendar.. this is normal? How long time takes this issue? thank you so much and excuseme for my bad English I am native from Spanish!


Hi Ángelaexpoman,

Until and unless you get the employment visa in your hand you should NOT resign from your jobs, simply because you are never sure of receiving the employment visa till you receive it.

Well in your case the damage has been done. See if there's any possibility of getting your jobs back ... and then wait for your employment visas to arrive.

Getting labor clearances is a huge challenge in the Sultanate these days. It could get delayed forever depending on numerous factors. And the employer has little or no say in the matter. That is why it is so uncertain.

Good luck.

Dear Sumitran,

Thanks for your reply... we are crossing our figers now :)

Thank you so much Sumitran, now we are prying for getting the issue :)

Hi Suitran, Did you get your employment visa, did you move in to Oman?
I have got my labor clearance and I am waiting for my employment visa. I have still not put my papers in current organization.

thangs_nb wrote:

Hi Suitran, Did you get your employment visa, did you move in to Oman?
I have got my labor clearance and I am waiting for my employment visa. I have still not put my papers in current organization.


NEVER EVER RESIGN FROM YOUR CURRENT JOB UNTIL AND UNLESS YOU RECEIVE YOUR 2-YEAR EMPLOYMENT VISA IN YOUR HAND.

If your first query is addressed to me, my answer is ... well yes, I did receive my employment visa and yes, I did move to Oman - say just about 20-years back !