2 year ban on expats trying to switch jobs in muscat

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.

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.