As the UAE’s two-month visa amnesty scheme approaches, set to begin on September 1, typing centres across the country are experiencing a surge in calls and inquiries from overstaying expats looking to regularize their residency status.
The amnesty period offers a unique opportunity for illegal residents to have their fines waived, allowing them to either leave the UAE or adjust their status to remain in the country legally.
Firose Khan, the operation manager at Arabian Business Centre, noted in a Khaleej Times report, “We have been receiving a lot of enquiries from residency visa overstayers. They have a lot of questions, asking us about how to process the documents and how to apply to regularize their status.” Despite the high volume of inquiries, Khan admitted that specific details on the procedure are still pending from immigration authorities. “In a couple of days from now, we will be receiving more information from the authorities, and our online portal will be updated,” he added.
Other document clearing services, such as Seven City Document Clearing Services, are also seeing a similar increase in demand. Mohammed Dawood Shahbuddin, a representative from the agency, explained, “These overstayers really want to regularize their status.” He detailed that the process involves submitting documents to an Amer centre through their agency. Once the application is approved, an outpass will be issued, granting the resident 14 days to either leave the country or secure a new visa through employment.
Nazeel Ahmed from Al Burj Document Clearing Services highlighted the lack of comprehensive guidelines from authorities, stating, “When people learnt about the UAE amnesty programme, many of them approached us for detailed procedures. However, the only information we have received so far were the dates of application and for how long it would be on.”
As the start date of the amnesty approaches, typing centres are preparing for an even larger influx of queries. They urge all illegal residents to take advantage of this grace period to legalize their residency status and avoid future complications.
“We urge everyone who is staying illegally in the country to make the most of this opportunity and legalize their residency status. Do not worry about how time-consuming it is. Once you are out of it, you have the freedom,” Khan emphasized.