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The Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has extended by another six months, its now three year old decision to not issue fresh visas for workers in several professions in the private sector. Prominent among them include visas for construction workers, cleaners, sales and marketing professionals.
The ministry issued four decisions on November 30 to extend the visa ban.
The ban on all categories except carpenters, metallurgists, blacksmiths and brick kiln workers has already come into effect from December 1, while for the remaining jobs it will come into force on January 1, 2017.
The first six-month ban on fresh visas for construction workers and cleaners came into effect in November 2013, while restrictions on sales and marketing professionals and camel keepers took effect on December 1 the same year. The initial six-month ban on carpenters, metallurgists, blacksmiths and brick kiln workers came into force on January 1, 2014.
The decisions state that the freeze will apply only to new visas and not renewals. The decision will not affect companies registered as excellent or are of international grade, consultancies and those implementing government projects.
The decision will also not apply to companies that are managed full-time by their owners and registered with Riyada and insured with the Public Authority for Social Insurance.
© Muscat Daily 2016
