Muscat: Lt Gen Hassan bin Mohsen al Shraiqi, Inspector-General of Police and Customs, has issued a decision, which was published in the official gazette on Sunday, to amend some provisions of the executive regulations of the Foreigners Residency Law.
Changes have been made primarily with regards to the family joining visas of the expatriates working in Oman.
Article 1 will replace the text of Article 10, paragraph 10, of the Regulations with regard to the entry visa.
As per the new article, the entry visa is granted to the expatriate who wishes to enter the Sultanate and stay here under following conditions, which include that the visa holder must enter the country within three months from the date of its issue.
It adds that the spouse of the expatriate working in the Sultanate and his children, below 21 years, can come to the country at the request of a local sponsor and under his responsibility.
The foreign spouse of the investor in the Sultanate and his children, however, can come at his request and under his responsibility.
The foreign or non-Omani wife of Omani can come at his request, provided a certificate is issued by the competent authority confirming the marriage.
Earlier, the visa was granted at the request of a local sponsor and under his responsibility to the spouse of an expatriate in the country and to his children who are under 21 years of age.
|Earlier, visa was also granted to the non-Omani wife of a citizen at his request, provided a certificate issued by the competent authority confirming this marriage. The visa must be used within three months from the date of issue.
Article 2 replaced has Article 19, paragraph 3, with a new text, which states that the approval for visa shall be granted to the spouse of the expatriate and his children, provided they have not attained 21 years of age.
The competent authority has the rights to verify if the applicant exceeds the age limit.
Visas are also granted to the foreign investor’s spouse and his children and to the non-Omani spouse of a citizen.
Earlier, the entry was granted to the spouse of the expatriate and his/her children below 28 years of age.
Article 3 of the new resolution replaces the text of the last paragraph of Article 26 of the Foreigners Residency Law.
It states that in all cases, the residence of any of the children ends at the age of 21 and that of the siblings dependent on the expatriate until the age of 18.
Authorities may waive the age requirement on humanitarian grounds.
The expatriate who owns a real estate unit in the Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC) projects will be exempted from the age requirement of obtaining a residence permit from an investor.
However, his and his family’s residency will be terminated once he ceases to own the property.
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