WAM: The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA, has announced that the official launch for the “Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status” initiative will kick off on 1st August until the end of October 2018. The Authority called on individuals to make use of the action to settle residency issues.
Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al-Rashdi, Director-General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, explained that the initiative would allow violators to exemption from any outstanding fees. He said that individuals need to take advantage of the initiative’s timeframe, adding that following the 31st October end date, all necessary legal procedures stipulated by the UAE’s federal laws of entry and residence will be applied.
He called on all individuals who are currently violating their residency terms to take advantage of the opportunity that the initiative provides. The grace period provides violators who reside in the state illegally to settle their status or to leave the country voluntarily without having any legal consequences while exempting them from the fines resulting from the violation.
During a media briefing detailing the operational mechanisms of the ‘Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status’, Al-Rashdi said that initiative will enable individuals violating their residency terms to leave the country without any fees, exempting them from fines, allowing them to modify their status with nominal charges, paying the fees of those absconding from the sponsor, allowing them to leave the state without the issuance of a ban stamp. The initiative will also enable individuals who entered the UAE via illegal means to leave the country, with a re-entry ban of two years. It will also allow individuals to transfer their residence status without the issuance of fines and fees.
He noted that this latest initiative is unique and distinguished from previous efforts, as it grants violators to voluntarily present themselves so that they are entirely exempted from all fines and fees, or with the option to leave the UAE, without the issuance of a ban, providing for an opportunity to return to the UAE for new job opportunities.
The Director-General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports stressed that this is an opportunity that individuals must take advantage of, adding that it does not leave any excuse for individuals to continue violating their terms of residence. He warned that missing this opportunity will expose any violator to the laws of residency in the UAE, adding that legal and judicial measures will be enforced.
How and where can i ask or avail this amnesty program?