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Oman clamping down on work visas for female expat professionals
| Published: | 19 Sep at 6 PM |
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Female expat professionals who’ve been offered jobs in Oman are either having to wait over a year to be approved or their visa applications are simply being refused.
According to the Times of Oman, female professionals who’ve applied for work visas in the Muslim country are facing long waits before the correct paperwork is provided, with those planning to work in certain male-dominated sectors are simply being refused a visa.
An advisor to the Omani ministry told reporters that female job applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis, unlike their male counterparts. Advisor Said al Saadi added each case was treated individually, with the granting of a visa dependent on the company’s needs and its size.
For example, a company working in the construction industry would have possibly 2,000 male employees and would therefore not have the need for a female worker. The restrictions against women in the workplace, he added, are there to prevent system abuse and to protect women.
Al Saadi stated the country was still open to female workers, adding that large malls and and similar companies would have no problem in obtaining work visas for women. Despite his statement, several of Oman’s recruitment companies are reporting extreme difficulties in obtaining work visas for foreign female professionals, with several saying they had not been able to place foreign female workers since last year.
Recruitment companies believe the visa problems are one result of the emirate’s recently passed Omanisation laws intended to reduce the number of foreign workers and provide jobs for local labour. However, the indigenous population in Oman is a fraction of the number of working expats, with several local politicians including the chairman of the Omani Chamber of Commerce believing Omanisation is incompatible with the government’s intent to stimulate the economy.
According to the Times of Oman, female professionals who’ve applied for work visas in the Muslim country are facing long waits before the correct paperwork is provided, with those planning to work in certain male-dominated sectors are simply being refused a visa.
An advisor to the Omani ministry told reporters that female job applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis, unlike their male counterparts. Advisor Said al Saadi added each case was treated individually, with the granting of a visa dependent on the company’s needs and its size.
For example, a company working in the construction industry would have possibly 2,000 male employees and would therefore not have the need for a female worker. The restrictions against women in the workplace, he added, are there to prevent system abuse and to protect women.
Al Saadi stated the country was still open to female workers, adding that large malls and and similar companies would have no problem in obtaining work visas for women. Despite his statement, several of Oman’s recruitment companies are reporting extreme difficulties in obtaining work visas for foreign female professionals, with several saying they had not been able to place foreign female workers since last year.
Recruitment companies believe the visa problems are one result of the emirate’s recently passed Omanisation laws intended to reduce the number of foreign workers and provide jobs for local labour. However, the indigenous population in Oman is a fraction of the number of working expats, with several local politicians including the chairman of the Omani Chamber of Commerce believing Omanisation is incompatible with the government’s intent to stimulate the economy.
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