Visa profession change

Hi richie4u,

What is a 'free visa' ?? For there is nothing like that.

If you are now running a tailoring shop, then to give it some engineering angle would require some lengthy explanations (by your company PRO / Omani partner) to the officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Changing of the profession mentioned in the official records would require the sponsor / employer holding the needed labour clearance for the said position.

Please take some time out to read all about it in the forum.

i know there is nothing called as a freevisa. i think you havent read my question. i asked if it is possible to add an activity to the existing CR something related to engineering or IT/Networking. what is the procedure.

secondly if a labour clearance is ready with an engineering profession or similar what should i submit to my sponsor in order to get it.

thanks

Hi richie4u,

I have read your post quite correctly ... you have mentioned about the 'free visa'; hence my query.

Once a company is registered as involved with doing xyz business, to amend it to something else would require an alteration to be done to the prior provided registration, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

This would be solely at the discretion of the officials as the amendment being done must be in line with the earlier registered business. For the simple reason, the same company cannot be involved with multiple activities.

The physical presence of the local sponsor is required for undertaking any such attempts. Expatriates cannot go beyond a certain limit, when it comes to things official.

thanks

Hello Members,

I am sort of new in Muscat and to this community. I have a general question which is remotely close to the topic of discussion on this thread.
My question is : Is there any consequence, legal or otherwise, of taking up a job in Oman with not an appropriate work visa? 
For instance situations where
1. A person with high professional experience and qualification taking up a low grade job or an under qualified person taking up a professional role.
2. If a qualified person with the right experience and skill set handling the right set of job and role but is with a visa of a technician or below.

I am not so sure if these are legally allowed in Oman. If not, What are the aftercomes of getting caught? and how and what situations that could get you caught?

Thank You.

Hi solo-traveller,

According to the Omani Labour Laws, for an expatriate to be legally employed the expatriate must fulfil the following two conditions without fail ...

(i) must be holding a valid 2-year employment visa,
(ii) must be employed only with the sponsor / employer under whose sponsorship the expatriate is, and not for anyone, or anywhere else.

Any employee or the employer not adhering to the above would find themselves on the wrongs side of the law.

For organisations to get the labour clearance is no cakewalk. A string of requirements has to be met. So the companies would use whatever labour clearance that they have managed to get, to fill in their most crucial vacancies.

That is why an engineer would be taken in on an electrician's visa, or a chief accountant on a carpenter's visa - if the candidates are not aware or in the know of the processes and procedures of employment.

By accepting such disparity in levels and designations, the biggest loser would only be the employee and not the employer. Besides, there is always this constant risk of getting caught during a surprise labour check which could result in serious legal complications - for the employer first, and the employee next.

Yet, companies and candidates are both willing to bite the bullet ... out of sheer desperation from both sides.