Residents’ Work Contract Must be Terminated before Switching Sponsors

Since the No objection Certificate (NOC) rule for expatriates wishing to change sponsors is no longer necessary here in Oman, authorities recently felt the need to clarify that some conditions must however be met. An ROP spokesman mentioned that, “Expatriates are free to change their sponsor at the end of their contract with the employer.”

This means that an expat on a resident visa may be transferred from one employer to another who has a license to recruit workers, provided the evidence of the expiry of the contract or termination of the employment contract is presented with proof.

Many were pleased with the government’s decision to scrap the NOC rule. There’s however been recent reports in which some expats were denied visit visas with a response message asking for an NOC from their previous employers, while others were not asked to present it.