Last chance

The amnesty announced by the United Arab Emirates government to those who are living in the UAE illegally for many years whatever, is no doubt the best chance to become a legal resident of the UAE (“UAE urges overstayers to rectify residency status at the earliest as amnesty ends on Dec.31,” Dec.16, Gulf Today website).

According to the report, the deadline for rectifying the status of individuals in contravention of the residency law in the UAE, who are exempt from financial penalties and administrative constraints, expires on Dec.31, 2024. This follows the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security’s (ICP) decision to extend the deadline by an additional two months, from its initial commencement on Sept.1, 2024, to its revised conclusion on Oct.31, 2024.

I personally know people and families around me who were living illegally because their resident documents were not updated due to various reasons. They were living illegally because they had huge penalties on their visa documents which were beyond their reach to pay and get their resident visas updated.

The generous announcement of amnesty from the kind leadership of the United Arab Emirates for all people who were living illegally in the UAE made their dream come true and become legal residents of the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates government has waved off millions of dirhams in fines and rewarded the legal status of residents in the country.

 Shaheen Salman, By email