PAM reverses conditions for renewing residences of expatriates who are above 60
In confirmation of the headline published by Al-Jarida on the 22nd of this month, titled “Cancellation of the ‘60-year-old’ decision”, which indicated that the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Manpower had approved the cancellation of the decision allowing expatriate workers aged 60 and above, who hold a high school diploma or lower, to renew their work permits annually by paying the prescribed fees.
Furthermore, Al-Jarida learned that the Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, H. E. Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, issued a decision to cancel Article No. 1, of Public Authority for Manpower Decision No. 294 of 2023.
This article had previously stipulated that work permits for this category could be renewed upon payment of an additional annual fee of 250 dinars, along with the requirement for the worker to have comprehensive health insurance coverage that could not be cancelled.
According to sources from the Ministry of Manpower, this decision will revert to the previous system, allowing workers aged 60 and above who hold less than a university degree to renew their work permits or transfer them to another employer without paying the fees, which could amount to nearly 900 dinars.
These fees included 500 dinars for the health insurance document, 250 dinars for the work permit, and other associated fees. Additionally, the decision also canceled the requirement for this category to have a university qualification in order to transfer or renew their permits.
The decision also included a revision of Article 14, of Ministerial Resolution No. 9/2016, regarding the regulations for owners of small and medium enterprises as follows:
The new text stipulates that it is permissible to transfer a worker brought into the small or medium enterprises sector within the same sector, with the approval of the employer, after one year has passed from the issuance of the work permit.
Additionally, it is permissible to transfer the worker to the same file of the small or medium enterprise owner within the same sector without the requirement of a waiting period, provided that the prescribed transfer fee of 300 dinars is paid before the year expires.
The decision also stipulated the cancellation of the second clause of Article 1 of Ministerial Resolution No. 57/A of 2016.
It permits the transfer of workers brought into the government contracts sector who are registered in the employer’s main file to work outside this sector.
Furthermore, it allows the transfer of workers in the ‘Distinguished Lists’ sector to work outside it. This decision is effective from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
