New rules to recruit Sri Lankan maids in Oman

Omani employers who wish to hire maids from Sri Lanka should follow new rules, according to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Sultanate.

Recruiters should approach the embassy to obtain an NOC for the maid. The embassy will initiate the procedure with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) in Colombo, which would assess if she meets two prerequisites for getting employed overseas.

The candidate shouldn’t have a child below 5 years of age and she must complete a free training course by the Sri Lankan government.

Speaking to the Observer, O L Ameer Ajwad, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate, said that the new rules were aimed at regulating the island nation’s workforce abroad.

“Such a step aims to curb irregular migration of Sri Lankan women domestic workers into the Sultanate’’, Ameer Ajwad said adding that the rule was announced in the middle of this year but implementing the same got delayed due to COVID-19.

The employment contract must be attested by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman and submit the same to the embassy for authentication.

The Directorate General of Passports and Residence of Royal Oman Police will issue employment visa to the Sri Lankan maids only if NOC issued by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat.

“All Sri Lankan female domestic workers who wish to seek employment in the Sultanate as well as the agencies need to be aware of this new procedure. We would also like to advise the prospective female domestic workers not to fall victims to the unscrupulous agencies/individuals who promise employment opportunities in the Sultanate under the category of visit/tourist visa through any third country’’, the ambassador said.