How the UAE’s new visa Amnesty program helps overstayed visitors avoid penalties and legal Issues

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The UAE has launched a two-month visa amnesty program starting September 1, 2024, to help overstayed visitors regularize their status or return home without penalties
The initiative aims to resolve legal issues for overstayers, avoiding fines or jail terms, and allowing status changes or safe exits
Eligible applicants include residents with expired visas, overstayed visitors, children without residency, and those who fled sponsors, but excludes illegal entrants

In a significant move aimed at addressing the issue of overstayed visas, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated a two-month visa amnesty program, effective from September 1, 2024.

This initiative is designed to assist individuals who have exceeded their visa limits, offering them an opportunity to regularise their residency status or return to their home countries without facing penalties.

Everything you need to know about the UAE’s two-month visa Amnesty for overstayed visitors

The amnesty program, announced by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, seeks to resolve the legal issues of overstayers, thereby avoiding potential fines or jail terms.

Granting amnesty to illegal overstayers

It also allows those with expired documentation to either change their status or leave the country without any legal repercussions.

Eligible applicants include residents who have remained in the UAE illegally after their residency visas expired, visitors who overstayed their visit visas, and children born in the UAE whose parents did not apply for residency on their behalf.

The program also extends to individuals who have fled from their sponsors. However, those who entered the country illegally are not eligible for the amnesty.

Maj Gen Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Head of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the initiative. “It is a chance for all violators to change their status in the country. The initiative will enhance the country’s position in the human rights sector,” he stated.

“We want to support the people who are staying in the country by changing their status to enable them to get their rights and have a safe exit from the country or work and live decently in the UAE.”

Applicants can access the amnesty program at various locations across the Emirates, providing a streamlined process for those seeking to benefit from this initiative.