Over 41K expat workers apply for leaving Oman

Muscat: As many as 41,425 expat workers have applied for leaving the Sultanate since the beginning of a grace period on November 15, according to data published by the Ministry of Labour on Sunday. Of those who applied to exit the country there were 18,800 active workers, 19,400 workers who abandoned their jobs, 2,100 who have no work permits, and 945 cancelled workers. The Ministry of Labour’s statistics showed that more than 39,400 of those who applied for exit had entered the Sultanate on work visa, 929 on visit visa, 308 on relative joining visa, 222 on family visa, 4 on student visa and 393 undocumented workers. On November 15, the Ministry of Labour began receiving applications from expats willing to leave the Sultanate with exemption from all fees and fines. These exemptions apply till December 31, 2020.