Six Month Visa For Job Seekers to Expire if Holder Exits UAE

The United Arab Emirates government has said that the six-month temporary visa, given to the jobseekers under visa amnesty scheme, will lose its validity if the visa holder leaves the country even once. A senior official in the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality (FAIC) has made it clear that this short-term visa for the jobseekers doesn’t provide multiple entry facility.

The FAIC has issued the clarification because a local newspaper had said in a report that temporary visa holders can exit and come back to the UAE during the validity period. The authorities have quashed the report and made it clear that this visa is not at all a multiple entry visa, reported Khaleej Times.

This visa is being given to those amnesty seekers, who have paid all the pending fines against their names. This visa, with a validity of half a year, costs the applicant Dh600 ($163.35), added the report.

Under the ongoing amnesty scheme, which was launched on Aug.1 this year, about 1800 Indian residents living in the UAE, have applied for short validity passport until last month.

Acting Director-General for Foreigners Affairs and Ports at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship Brig. Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi said that the temporary visa given to amnesty seekers for six months allows them to stay in the country but doesn’t entitle them to multiple entry facility. It is not equivalent to the regular residence visa in terms of such privileges.

“The temporary visa only entitles amnesty-seekers to stay in the country for six months, but they cannot leave the country and come back. If they leave, the visa will be canceled automatically,” Gulf News quoted Al Rashidi as saying.

He also said that if such people want to exit the country for some purpose and want to come back, they will have to take a residence visa for work. They can also apply for tourist visas to visit the country again.

The UAE recently extended its ongoing visa amnesty scheme till Dec.1. With this extension, amnesty seekers will get more time to regularize their residency status in the country, which will entitle them to stay in the country. During this period, they are also allowed to leave the country without paying the fines or getting banned from entering UAE again.

A person with this temporary visa is not allowed to work in the UAE unless he/she gets a job and obtains an employment visa before starting work, Khaleej Times reported.

These visa holders also cannot renew their temporary visa.