MoI offers 50% cut in settling visa fines

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced a 50% reduction in the settlement amount for companies for legalising the status of workers who have violated the law. The Unified Services Department at the MoI, through different service centres, continues to receive requests for expatriates working in companies in violation of the provisions of Law No 21 of 2015 regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence within the time limit for correcting their illegal status , the ministry said in a statement Saturday.

Brigadier Abdullah al-Ansari

Unified Services Department Director Brigadier Abdullah al-Ansari said it has been decided to reduce the settlement amount by 50% for violating companies, for not completing the procedures of residence permits of their workers or not renewing them, during the grace period for correcting the status of expatriates who have violated provisions of the law. The grace period started on October 10 and ends on December 31. This is in accordance with Article 45 of the law regulating the entry, exit, and residence of expatriates.Brigadier al-Ansari explained that in accordance with provisions of the law , the "violating expatriate or violating employer must submit a request for reconciliation within the specified period to the Search and Follow up Department or to any of the service centres at Umm Salal, Umm Sunaim, Mesaimeer, Al Wakra and Al Rayyan". This is to consider the exemption or reduction of the amount of reconciliation based on the provisions of the aforementioned law.The official urged all groups seeking to benefit from the correction of their illegal status (expatriates violating residency, work visa and family visit visas conditions) to visit the aforementioned department or centre, during the said period, from 1pm until 6pm. He noted that the service centres have received nearly 20,000 requests from company workers since the start of the grace period. He expects an increase in turnout after the announcement of a reduction of 50% in the settlement amount.He added that the procedures are easy, and there is "complete co-ordination with the Ministry of Labor and flexibility by the MoI".