Oman Considering New Temporary Visas For Expats In Listed Sectors

Published:  5 Jun at 6 PM
Want to get involved?

Become a

Featured Expat

and take our interview.

Become a

Local Expert

and contribute articles.

Get in

touch

today!

The Omani government is considering allowing recruitment of expat workers in specialised occupations on a defined, temporary basis.

According to an annual report released by Oman’s Implementation Support and Follow-up unit, specified professions for the new temporary work permits will include medicine, academic positions, technical and engineering, consultancy and experts qualified to train others in these fields. The amendment is being seen as a way to manage companies’ business needs using expatriate specialists for a limited time period. The professions list is to be updated annually with reference to the needs of labour market sectors.

In addition, Omani lawmakers are working on a scheme to allow flexible movement between jobs for expatriate workers, aimed at companies registered within the same group. The scheme is intended to help private enterprises in need of additional expat staff. Meanwhile, reports indicate Oman’s expat population is declining at speed, following a decade of growth, indicating some 21,000 expats have relocated over the past 10 months.

The decline in white-collar expat workers was first noted two years ago whilst blue collar worker numbers were still on the increase, but by late 2017, totals of blue collar workers in the emirate were also falling. Stricter visa regulations as well as the Omanization programme are believed to be responsible for the decline.

Even so, expats still make up 45 per cent of Oman’s population, in spite of the January six-month ban on expat workers in 10 sectors including IT, air traffic control, accounting, finance, admin, human resources, technicians and the insurance sector.



Comments » No published comments just yet for this article...

Feel free to have your say on this item. Go on... be the first!

Tell us Your Thoughts On This Piece:

RECENT NEWS

Celebrating Hanukkah In The Netherlands

As the year draws to a close and more and more of your daily life is conducted in the darkness of winter, the Jewish fes... Read more

Why The Netherlands Is The Best Place For Expats To Start A Business

Practica Coaching offers various coaching programmes, tailored to help you take that next step in your career or to help... Read more

How To Deal With Difficult People At Work

I was brought to tears by my boss once in my life. I was 21, inexperienced and a bit naive - just like a 21-year-old sho... Read more

7 Dutch Christmas Traditions To Incorporate Into Your Festivities

Whether this is your first Christmas in the Netherlands or you just want to start celebrating the festive season the Dut... Read more

How To Get A Car In The Netherlands: A Guide For Expats

Moving to a new country can be stressful. There is a lot to take care of, including transportation such as a car. Mobili... Read more

Dutch Tongue Twisters To Master Your Pronunciation

Learning Dutch is challenging - especially when it comes to the pronunciation - but if you really want to put yourself ... Read more