Is NOC Required For Investor Visa In Oman
You need a No Objection Certificate or NOC from your employer to apply for the Investor Visa in Oman. The application requires you to submit a letter from your current employer saying they give you permission without any objection to work in Oman. If you change jobs, you have to ask your new employer’s permission and this is nothing more than a new NOC by the same process. Does it mean that if my employer refuses then I can’t leave Egypt even though I got my passport?
One question we keep getting from people who are going through the Oman Investor Visa process is whether a Nationalization Certificate (NOC) is required or not. In this article, I will try to explain the basic requirements for an investor visa and cover whether an NOC is required or not.
Are you looking for Omani startup visa requirements? What about the requirements for an investor visa in Oman? Well, below are the investor visa requirements and startup visa requirements in Oman.
It’s been a while since we covered the topic of investor visas in Oman and Qatar. However, with shifting dynamics in the global investment landscape, many forget that our clients are guaranteed several visas which allow them easy entry into other countries around the world (such as Schengen or Malaysia). It’s partially my fault for neglecting this for a while; we’ve been so busy with other areas of our business.
Right here on Touriangle you can rest easy to obtain all the relevant information you need on NOC Oman 2022, ministry of manpower Oman NOC, latest NOC rules in Oman, and so much more. Be sure to surf through our catalog for more information on related topics. You don’t want to miss this!
Is NOC Required For Investor Visa In Oman
Oman is a small country which is very famous in the gulf region. Being an oil-rich country attracts people to migrate here with the help of investor visa. A lot of people are planning to go this country by getting a valid visa. Before going to any country, it is a mandatory to apply for a no objection certificate from home government if you have any past criminal record. people who have been charged for any criminal act are not being provided an Omanish visa.
An Omani visa is the first of many steps towards the Omani citizenship, but before you can enjoy that, you have to enter Oman legally.
New Labour Law In Oman For Expatriates 2022
Expatriates who currently face a two-year ban on their return to Oman after having left a job in the Sultanate can return on a tourist visa, or one granted to join a family, visitor or investor visa, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has clarified.
“An expatriate who leaves his job without having obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) can come back to the Sultanate using a tourist, family joining, visitor or investor visa,” said an official source at the ROP.
The investor visa is granted to an expatriate who invests in Oman and receives a certification of approval from the concerned authority. “The investor visa is valid for six months from the date of the visa stamped on the passport. Subsequent to the verification of investment he has made, he is granted a two-year residence permit which is subject to approval by the concerned authority. The visa allows multiple entries to the country. The investor or the partner has to obtain an approval for investing in the Sultanate from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,” stated the ROP website.
While a visitor visa is granted to the relatives and friends of an Omani national or an expatriate who is resident in Oman at the request of and on the responsibility of his sponsor, a family joining visa is granted to the wife of the foreigner, who is a resident in Oman, as also to his children who are below the age of 21 years.
A tourist visa is granted by the concerned authority to those foreigners who wish to visit the Sultanate for tourism purposes.
The clarification that expatriates who had quit their jobs can re-enter Oman with these visas has come at a time when confusion prevailed over the two-year visa ban decision.
The ban, which came into effect on July 1, bars any expatriate worker from joining another company unless he has an NOC and a minimum of two years have elapsed since his date of departure from the Sultanate.
This clarification on the part of the ROP makes it clear that expatriates who had quit their jobs can return with these visas. It means that a wife who quit her job can come back to Oman on a family joining visa and others can return on a visitor, investor or tourism visas. However, expatriates cannot take up jobs when they enter the country with these visas.
The officials also explained that expatriates who resigned and left the Sultanate before the implementation of the two-year ban are still required to obtain an NOC from their previous employers.
The ROP source also said the two year period referred to in the decision does not refer to the two years of contract that the expats sign. “It doesn’t matter if the employee completes the two years of contract or not.
Once the expat leaves his job, irrespective of whether he has completed two days or two years of his contract period, he must spend two years outside Oman to join another job in Oman in case he didn’t obtain NOC letter from first employer.”
Recently, an ROP official had clarified there was no plan to delay the implementation of the ban on return of expat workers.
“There is no official communication from authorities on any change in the rule that came into effect recently,” said the senior official.
There had been much talk on social media that the two-year ban on the return of expatriate workers will come to an end soon.
To get in touch with the reporter fahadnews@timesofoman.com
NOC In Oman Latest News 2022
Many expatriates and employers welcomed this year with the news that no objection certificates (NOCs) would no longer be required in respect of expatriates who wished to move employers without having to spend two years outside of Oman between employment in Oman. This was as a result of an amendment to the Executive Regulations of the Foreign Residency Law introduced by ROP Decision No. 157/2020 which abolished the requirement for NOCs from 1 January 2021 as reported in one of our earlier articles.
Notwithstanding the change in law which was widely publicised in the media and hailed by labour unions and other organisations as a positive move to liberate the labour market, increase Oman’s rating in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report and be in compliance with the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, a number of expatriates and employers reported that they continued to experience difficulties this year with transferring on to new work permits and employment visas without NOCs.
We have learned that the Ministry of Labour has recently issued a decision (29 July 2021) to its personnel setting out the circumstances in which NOCs should no longer be requested as a pre-condition when dealing with the transfer of expatriate employees from one employer to another. According to the Ministry of Labour’s decision, expatriates should be able to transfer employment without production of an NOC in the following cases:
- upon expiry of the expatriate’s work permit/visa provided that the expatriate does not have a current employment contract registered with the Ministry of Labour;
- upon the expiry of the expatriate’s employment contract;
- upon the expatriate providing evidence that his/her employment contract has been terminated by the employer for a reason other than a disciplinary reason;
- the issuance of a court ruling ordering the transfer of the expatriate employee to the new employer;
- the issuance of a court ruling adjudging that the expatriate employee was arbitrarily dismissed; or
- the issuance of a court ruling adjudging the bankruptcy or dissolution of the employer.
This recent decision from the Ministry of Labour no doubt provides helpful clarification and whilst not allowing complete freedom of movement in employment to expatriates, will allow those who have worked the full length of their work permit/visa, completed fixed or project term contracts, those who have been arbitrarily dismissed or made redundant due to the employer’s liquidation to move on to new opportunities within Oman.
It will now be much easier for expatriates to move employment if they fall into any one of the six cases mentioned above. Employers will want to safeguard their confidential information and prevent employees using such information in their next employment. Now is an opportune time for employers to review the adequateness of their non-compete and confidentiality clauses in employment contracts or consider introducing these for new employees or when promoting existing employees.
If you, as an employer, want to learn more about how you can better protect your business from unfair competition and unlawful disclosure of your confidential information, please get in touch with our experienced employment team.
Oman NOC Rules 2022
NOC is no-objection certificate. It issued by the current employer to their employees for switching from the current employer to another employer. NOC lets the companies have strong power over their employees.
NOC law was passed on July 2014, which had an acute effect on the expats already working in the Sultanate of Oman. In this article, we are going to see the procedure for NOC in Oman.
Government’s Opinion Polls Employees at least have to serve a company for two years, as switching to the new company within the two-year period affects the investment that the company did on the worker.
There was poll conducted by the government using Twitter and about 60% people supported the existence of NOC system.
Steps to Get NOC in Oman
The economy of Oman is affected by the short stay of the workers. So, they are expecting worker with longtime relationship. NOC in Oman may get refused for a worker who is not efficient in working for the company.
Some tweaks are suggested by the officials to the procedure of getting NOC, they are
- An employee who completed two years contract, don’t have to get NOC.
- Whereas the employee who is trying to leave the current company for a new company within the contract of two years, he has to get NOC.
Company’s Exploitation At the same time, we have to ensure that companies do not use it as exploiting tool. If the NOC in Oman system is canceled, then employees will go from one company to another company becomes a threat to the old company.
They may even start their own business to become a threat to the previously worked company. Giving NOC to the employees is solely based on the decision by the company.
But many people seek the NOC systems to be stopped or amended to avoid exploitation by the companies.
They require a system where equal chances are given to the employer and employee.
Blue collar jobs Some people give the opinion that the rule has to be relaxed for blue collar workers who cannot approach the company’s management regarding the NOC.
This NOC system has become a huge disadvantage for the individuals working in the Omani companies.
Expats opinion Many expats are against the NOC system, as the expats working for the company for long time, cannot get the NOC from their company’s chief officials for no reasons. It leaves them no option but exit the country, which imposes two-year ban.
Procedure to get NOC:
- First, ensure the two-year contract is finished. Otherwise, the company may refuse to give NOC in Oman. (In the middle of contract getting NOC is based on the company’s decision)
- Approach the Public Relationship officer of your company to get relieved from the company. Follow the procedure as he says.
- Serve the notice period.
- Get relieved from the company.
- After all the documents are processed collect the NOC from the company.
What happens when NOC is not given?
If you are not given NOC, either you can return to your own country or you can continue to work in the same company. Issuing the NOC is at the discretion of the company, company decision cannot be interfered by any person outside the company.
Can I extend my visa after leaving the country without NOC from the company?
No, your visa will be banned for two years and until then you will not be able to return to Oman. The NOC in Oman is a benefit for the companies where expats work.
NOC can be denied by a company if you are making a loss to the company. To avoid the ban on your visa, you better convince the company to give you NOC.
