Expat visa ban for 87 professions may be extended again?

One of Oman’s top officials at the country’s Ministry of Manpower has said that the visa ban that is currently in place to limit expatriate jobs across 87 professions can be extended in the future, depending on the needs of the local job market.

The current visa ban is expected to expire at the end of January 2019, Salim bin Nasser Al Hadhrami, Director General of Planning and Development at the Manpower Ministry, said the visa ban could be extended further if needed.

“The Ministry of Manpower issued a ministerial decree No. (38/2018) to temporarily suspend the authorisation of a non-Omani labour force in some professions, which included an extension, such as information systems, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, administration, human resources and insurance,” he said.

Check out the list of 87 professions: https://www.juaninoman.com/visa-ban-for-87-professions-in-private-sector-extended/

“The decision to regulate the labour market, provide job opportunities for job seekers in these disciplines, reduce the recruitment of labour force in the country, and the ban for a period of six months can be renewed based on the results of the study and the success in providing job opportunities in these disciplines.”

A study is currently underway to gauge the extent of how successful the visa ban has been towards providing jobs for Omanis.

The six-month ban on hiring expat workers across 87 job roles was imposed on January 28, 2018, to make room for locals within the workforce. The hiring freeze came into effect following the issuance of ministerial decree 2018/38, which was issued by Minister of Manpower Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri. It was then extended in July for another six months.

The decision does not apply to establishments registered with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development and insured with the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI).

“The necessary work has been done within the tasks of this ministry and by raising the subject with the competent authorities to take the necessary steps,” added Al Hadhrami.

Shortly after the enforcement of the visa ban, the Ministry of Manpower set off on a campaign to provide 25,000 jobs to young Omanis, which began in February 2018. That objective was achieved before the end of the initial six-month freeze.

This article is an excerpt from: https://timesofoman.com/article/569772/Oman/Expat-visa-ban-may-be-extended-Ministry-of-Manpower