ICA: “Protect Yourself by Changing Your Status” initiative Includes All Violators Before August 1st

HE Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al-Rashdi, Acting Director-General of Foreign Affairs and Ports in ICA affirmed that the “Protect Yourself by Changing Your Status” initiative will include all violators in UAE before 1/8/2018 where they will have the opportunity to utilize the available advantages and exemptions they offer. Anyone who violates after this date will not be able to benefit from the initiative and will be subject to all the legal procedures stipulated by Foreigners Entry and Residency Law.

Brigadier Al-Rashidi called all the violators to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the initiative and to quickly visit the assigned centers by the ICA for this purpose to get benefit from the facilities included in the initiative, noting that every violator who settles his status according to the initiative will have the opportunity to come back to the state with a new visa without any handicaps.

He said during the briefing held by ICA this morning at its headquarters in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi to announce the launch date of “Protect Yourself by Changing Your Status” initiative and the details of its executive mechanism, ” The initiative allows for payment of the absconding from sponsor report and to leave without the ban seal, allows persons who entered the state through unofficial ports to leave the state and banning them from entry for two years, as well as allowing the transfer of residency visa for those wishing to change their status without fines and simple fees.

Brigadier Al Rashidi added that the initial launch comes in line with the guidance of wise leadership of the state to grant happiness to all people living in UAE and based on the government’s keenness on the settlement of the status of violators through enabling them to avoid the resulted legal consequences. He pointed out that the violators can take advantage of this priceless opportunity to leave the state voluntarily without bearing any legal consequences or payment of any penalties or to change their status, live legally in UAE, and utilize the services provided by the state.

He said that this initiative is distinguished from the previous initiatives that were organized in the past years; as it gives the violator who voluntarily applies to change his status the opportunity to be exempted from the resulting penalties and to leave the state naturally without inserting his name in the ban list, the matter which enables him to come back to the state with a new visa according to the applicable procedures. There is also another important advantage, which is the possibility of getting temporary residency without a sponsor for six months through the virtual labor market system, which allows job seekers, employers, and employment agencies to cooperate under the supervision of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and conclude labor and employment contracts.

He affirmed that ICA has provided all the means to facilitate the procedures for those wishing to benefit from the initiative in order to achieve the ultimate goal of its launch, which is to reach “UAE free of violators”.

He pointed out that ICA was keen during the planning of the implementation of this initiative to take advantage of previous experiences in this field in order to avoid all the negatives and maximize the advantages and develop them and convert them to features of added value to the initiative to contribute to the achievement of its objectives to the fullest. Stressing that it will include all categories of violators who reside illegally on the land of the State, whether they were stranded families or individuals or workers absconding from their companies or domestic workers absconding from sponsors.

As for the centers of receiving the violators who wish to benefit from the initiative, Brigadier Al Rashidi explained that ICA has established nine centers nationwide that include all the necessary preparations to receive violators with ease and help them comfortably finish their transactions. There is a center in Al Shahama – Abu Dhabi and a center in the Al Aweer area in Dubai. Reception centers have been established in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Al Ain, Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi annexed to Customer Happiness Centers related to the General Directorate of Foreigners and Ports.

He said that the reception centers will operate from 8 am to 8 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and a call center will be available to receive questions and queries from the public via the toll-free (80080), which will be available 24 hours a day

As for the documents required to benefit from the initiative, Brigadier Al Rashdi explained that the violator needs to submit his passport and the unified number, if he has a previous entry visa or residency visa, and documents which prove the existence of a new sponsor, medical fitness certificate for who those who need to change their status, transfer their residency or get a new residency visa and a ticket to their home for those who wish to leave the state. Violators who do not have identification papers must review their embassies to extract the required documents that allow them to take advantage of this opportunity.

In response to a question about the spent period of the process of completing the transaction, Brigadier Al-Rashidi said that if the documents are completed, it will not exceed two working days during which the status of the violator will be amended and given approval to work in case of the availability of job opportunity and sponsor, or a permit to leave the country if he wishes to leave.

Brigadier Al-Rashidi stressed that the exemptions and privileges provided by the initiative did not leave any excuse for any violator to continue the offense and not to seek any benefit to amending his status. He warned that after the grace period, ICA will organize intensive search campaigns to prosecute violators of Foreigners Entry and Residency Law and deterrent legal procedures will be taken against them.

He also warned against sheltering the violators since it is a punishable crime, in view of the great damage they cause to the State and society and the grave legal consequences of the perpetrator.