UAE extends amnesty by December 31st

The UAE’s visa amnesty has been extended for one more month granting amnesty seekers more time to settle their visa status in the country, an official told.

Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Al Dallal, the spokesperson at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs of the Ministry of Interior, said the amnesty extension came under the directives of  His Highness UAE President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and would now end on December 31.

The extension is the second time the UAE amnesty period has been lengthened. Originally launched on August 1, the amnesty period was initially set for three months until the end of October; it was then extended until November 30 and then again until December 31.

"The authority will on Tuesday continue to welcome people wishing to avail of the amnesty initiative at the nine registration centres across the UAE so that they can rectify their status," the FAIC said in a statement.

The "Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status" initiative that granted a three-month grace period for illegal residents to modify their status or leave the UAE without facing fines or legal issues started on August 1 until October 31, 2018.  But the authority extended the amnesty scheme for a month which was supposed to end on November 30, 2018, after the expiry of the extension.

Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Acting Director-General of Foreigners and Ports Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said the decision to extend the deadline for another month comes as a "generous initiative" to mark the country's 47th anniversary.

"The extension of the amnesty initiative is a generous gesture from the UAE leaders which is also characterized by their keenness for humanity and supporting people," said Al Rashidi.

UAE amnesty scheme extended by one month

The scheme, which began on August 1, was earlier scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 31, has been extended until December 1, the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship announced

Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidy, Acting Director-General of Foreigners and Ports Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said the decision to extend the deadline came  to offer greater assistance to all those living in the UAE who have yet to fully legalise their status.

Great demand

The nine amnesty centres continue to witness several great demand with high footfall of amnesty seekers, he added. After deliberating on the matter, the authorities decided that extending the amnesty period for those who haven't fully completed their paperwork.

"There was some delay in processing applications at the start of the amnesty period due to some technical issues," Al Rashidy said. "Extending the deadline also helps counteract the effect of the delay some amnesty seekers may have faced."

Some embassies and consulates from a few countries were unable to issue or process documents in a timely fashion, causing further delays, according to the Brigadier.

He asked consulates and embassies to fully cooperate and push for greater efficiency in processing the documents for their citizens in time. Authorities have warned that those who are caught staying illegally in the country after the end of the amnesty programme will have to face tough penalties.

UAE amnesty seekers exit permit valid only for 10 days

Illegal residents who have availed of the amnesty initiative must leave the country within 10 days after getting an exit permit, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) has announced.

The FAIC also pointed out that violators who got their fine waived can obtain exit permits from the amnesty centres by paying a nominal fee of Dh220. Those who wish to change their status, transfer their residence or obtain new residence must provide evidence of a new sponsor and a certificate of health fitness.

However, authorities concerned at the Directorate General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) will charge a fee of Dh500 from violators who amend the status of the visa without exiting the UAE.

The FAIC has launched the three-month amnesty programme Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status on August 1 allowing expatriates living inside the country illegally to change their status, either leave or modify the residence status, without paying their overstaying fines.

The violators, who wish to change their status to leave the country, must bring a number of documents, including a passport, to avail of the scheme. Since the launch of the initiative, the immigration centres across the country have received thousands of applicants and many were issued permits to amend their status and have a fresh life in accordance with the UAE regulations.

However, the initiative has excluded two categories of people from the amnesty programme: People who are blacklisted and those having police cases lodged against them.

Exemption from fines:

Meanwhile, six categories were granted the right to benefit from the amnesty without paying fines.

The first category comprises people who are residing in the country with expired residence and visas. They would get full exemption from all the fines and has the option either to leave the country or get a new visa.

The second category is those who are unemployed, who can obtain unmediated temporary residence or self-sponsorship visa for six months, which allows them to interact with potential employers under the supervision of the Ministry of Human Resources and Employment.

The third, people who had entered the country illegally through informal outlets. They will be allowed to leave the country but cannot enter the country for a period of two years.

The fourth category is people who ran away from their employers. The fifth category covers victims of wars and natural disasters, who will be granted a one-year residency visa regardless of the status of their visas or nationalities.

The sixth category is widowed or divorced, and their residence is extended for one year without the need for a sponsor.

The amnesty programme, which runs until October 31, is applicable to illegal residents who have been living inside the country before August 1.

Amnesty-seekers in Sharjah asked to approach Tasheel to rectify status

Amnesty-seekers in Sharjah has been urged to visit Tasheel centres and not the amnesty tent, to get their status rectified. Only those seeking to exit the UAE should visit the tent set up outside the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Sharjah) in Al Qasimiya.

A senior GDRFA Sharjah official told Gulf News on Monday that all applications related to renewal of visas for overstaying residents, or issuing of new visas for illegal residents, are being handled by Tasheel.

The statement comes as the GDRFA amnesty tent in Sharjah witnessed a massive rush over the last two days, with many seeking to modify their status waiting for hours in the hot sun, only to be told that they have to approach Tasheel.

The GDRFA amnesty tent is also not handling passport-related applications. Amnesty-seekers should approach their respective consulates, an Indian Association Sharjah (IAS) official confirmed.The IAS has a helpdesk at the amnesty tent.

“At the tent, only emergency certificates or outpasses are being issued to those wanting to exit the UAE,” Mohammad Jabir, acting president of IAS, said.

According to Jabir, Tasheel centres in Sharjah will be started receiving amnesty applications.