Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Muscat: Expats living in Oman are “very happy” and should not worry about losing their jobs due to the visa ban, according to the president of the Oman Lawyers Association.
“I know for sure that expats living in Oman are very happy, for various reasons, that include job security in private companies, safety, and a peaceful environment that is lacking in many other countries across the world,” said Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, President of Oman Lawyers Association and a member of Majlis Al Shura.
He clarified that expats based in Oman are not at risk from the expat visa ban put in place to boost Omanisation, as they are already in the country and working.
“Expats who are already working here should not be worried about losing their jobs, as the visa ban that has been imposed on 87 occupations has nothing to do with the renewal of contracts, unless the employer refuses to do so,” said Al Zadjali, who is also a Chairman at Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm.
“In fact, Oman currently has more than 500,000 expats working, as well as some 1.9 million labourers from various countries,” he added.
Expats too, echoed Al Zadjali’s sentiment, saying they are happy in Oman, but uncertain about the future.
A Pakistani passport holder who has been working at one of the private engineering companies in Muscat for more than three years is extremely happy as he considers Oman his second home. However, he is concerned about job uncertainty both at home as well as here.
“I love Oman and wouldn’t ever want to leave this country, but at the same time it is very stressful to be working under the pressure of losing my job and returning to Pakistan where the situation is much worse.”
Ajay Kuriakose Jacobs, a manager at Business Immigration Oman, WWICS, noted that his company had recorded an increase in immigration inquiries in 2017, with some expats complaining about volatility in their home countries, uncertainty in their existing jobs and curbs on their own passports.
“Canada and Australia have always been the top choice for expats looking for professional immigration,” said Jacobs, adding, “Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Dominica have emerged as extremely popular destinations for real estate investments since there are no strenuous requirements of education, IELTS or business experience.”
“I applied to go to Canada some one year ago out of the fear of losing my job, as well as to travel more freely. If Canada doesn’t work out this year, I will look at the option of applying for permanent residency in one of the Caribbean countries,” said a resident of Iraq, who has been based in Muscat for seven years.
