An amnesty initiative of many firsts

OPTIONS TO REMOVE ABSCONDER STATUS, 6-MONTH VISA AND CHANCE FOR FORMER RESIDENTS TO ESCAPE BAN ARE UNPRECEDENTED GESTURES

The UAE Government’s landmark initiative to grant amnesty to residency law violators begins today, offering a reprieve to thousands of illegal residents.

The initiative is historic, as the government has announced many options to the amnesty seekers, which were never available during the amnesty periods in the past.

Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, director of Residency Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said: “This is a great opportunity for illegal residents to rectify their status legally or leave the country without paying fines.”

Although overstayers who found a new job were always allowed to regularise their status, absconders among them had to leave the country with an entry ban.

However, this amnesty offers a golden opportunity for absconders to get their absconding cases removed from the system and move to new visas, if they get job offers.

This reprieve is extended to even former residents who left the country with a ban. No other amnesty in the past offered any benefit to former residents.

They can apply for any type of new visa [tourist/visit/resident/ investor] through normal channels during the amnesty period, although each application will be considered on a case-to-case basis.

Those who do not have any pending legal cases against them and were never convicted of serious crimes in the UAE may be considered.

Amnesty-seekers, who wanted to stay back in the country but could not find a new job, had no other option in the past but to leave the country. But this year, the government has announced a generous scheme to give them a six-month temporary visa that will help their job hunt.

During past amnesty periods, there were reports about many people who had been overstaying for many years not utilising the scheme as they were not in a position to leave the country.

This time, the six-month visa may give a lifeline to such people who want to stay back further and try to start a new life.

This amnesty offers a new opportunity for infiltrators as well. Those who entered the UAE without a visa were able to leave the country without facing any punitive actions such as imprisonment and fines during the previous amnesty periods but they were never allowed to come back. However, this time such people can come back after two years.