Independent visa

Hi Ahmed Ilyas,

Even though this question has been replied to umpteen number of times prior, let me reply yet again ... one more time ...

(1) For an expatriate to be employed, the person must hold a valid 2-year employment visa, and a valid Resident Card,

(2) That employment visa must be duly sponsored by a registered local sponsor / organisation. In other words, for every expatriate employee, there must be a local sponsor,

(3) Once the expatriate arrives in the Sultanate, the person is allowed to work only with the sponsor or the organisation which has brought the expatriate over to Oman on the employment visa,

(4) The expatriate is PROHIBITED BY LAW from working anywhere else, or for anyone else, other than with the sponsor who has sponsored him / her,

(5) Similarly, the expatriate who is on an employment visa is prohibited by law to indulge in any kind of business.

Scores of expatriates knowingly, or unknowingly flout and break these manpower rules.

That is also why the Ministry of Manpower conducts regular 'surprise' labour checks where they visit offices unannounced and ask for the expatriate's resident card, where the person's designation would be mentioned, besides the sponsor's name.

If there is any discrepancy in the job stated and what the expatriate was seen / caught doing (for example, if the resident card of the expatriate says 'Electrician' and the person was seen working in the 'Accounts' department), then the expatriate and the sponsor would both have to face the repercussions, with some added penalties to the sponsor who will be seen by the manpower authorities as the larger breaker of the rule.