Author
Denis PopovContent:
Jobs abroad are always attractive and popular. Finding a job in Oman, for example, fosters personal growth and independence as people cope with daily tasks, build social networks, and navigate new atmospheres, developing resilience and cultural intelligence. Expanding professional horizons by working in an international environment such as Oman, you will encounter new methods of work, innovative technologies, and non-standard approaches to problem-solving. This helps you gain valuable experience and increases your competitiveness in the labor market.
Every immigrant has to know the local laws of the country. Oman, and specifically Muscat, is one of those regions with special rights, freedoms, and laws. The territory of specialized economic zones in Oman, including Muscat, is distinguished by special tax, labor, and customs state regulations. For example, in certain economic zones like Muscat, labor legislation laws have some differences from the general federal norms. The employment of foreign labor involves a special period for the issuance of a work visa and a corresponding work permit. During this time, the foreign worker must conclude a contract with the employer, as well as obtain a resident visa and labor card. As the basis for the employment of foreign nationals, relevant labor contracts between the foreign national and the employer are followed too. The form of this document is developed by the local Ministers. The contract is based on two languages: English and Arabic. Only after this official process is the immigrant's application for a job in Muscat complete.
After legal employment, the worker can start his/her activity. The state provides a certain list of rights for the labor force in full compliance with the rules and laws of labor legislation for foreigners:
The right to legally reside, enter, or leave the country (subject to the conditions of labor activity);
The right to rent real estate;
The right to acquire ownership and registration of movable property (by Oman law, e.g. registration of transportation for employees).
As a rule, the costs of the road and visa are paid by the future employee.
There is no official minimum wage in Oman. The approximate level of income depends on many factors, including qualifications, experience, education, nationality, and the specific company. The average salary in Oman in 2021 is around $4,000-5,000 per month. A maid or nanny can earn $200-800 and an airline pilot can earn $8,000-13,000. But there is a specific payment arrangement for any type of occupation. The payment is made once a month. Legislation allows payment of wages more often, but this term is the most common in everyday life.
An Oman visa is an authorization document that allows you to enter the jurisdiction and stay within its borders for a specific period. Foreigners who wish to visit the country for medical treatment, visit relatives, study, work, business, tourism, or other purposes are required to obtain a permit. If the applicant does not plan to immigrate to Oman, he needs a visitor visa, which allows you to stay in the jurisdiction for up to 180 days (depending on the type) and can be single or multiple entries. For legal employment, a work visa with official identity documents is required. The documents must be authorized and legal. Only then are they handed over to the country's consulate. Since the procedure of legalization is quite complicated, painstaking, and requires precision, it is better to entrust it to specialists. Work and resident visas are issued by the employer.
The validity of a resident visa is two or three years, but it can be terminated early. There are reasons for canceling a resident visa: the end of the employment contract, deportation of the foreign worker, staying outside the country for over six months without a break, etc.
The general approach to regulating the labor legal relations of foreign nationals is set out in various legislative acts, according to which the labor rights and obligations of foreign nationals and Oman citizens are equalized unless otherwise provided for by legislation and international treaties. Oman labor law guarantees annual paid leave to every employee. Its minimum duration is 30 days per year. However, employers may, on their initiative, increase this period by granting additional vacation days. In this case, the right to 30 calendar days of vacation arises after one year of employment with the employer. If an employee wants to take vacation before the end of the first year of employment, he/she is entitled to vacation at the rate of 2 days for each month worked.
Labor legislation restricts workers from holding various strikes, strikes, and expressions of protest. The establishment of trade union organizations is also prohibited. All disputes arising in labor relations are considered by the Ministry of Labor. For persons who do not agree with the decision, there is an opportunity to appeal the decision in court cases.
If one of the rights provided for in the labor law is violated by a worker, the worker may file a lawsuit:
Lack of payment of wages;
Non-compliance with sanitary norms at the enterprise and others;
Refusal to draw up a labor contract;
Refusal to issue official documents upon completion of labor activity.
An employer is obliged to issue a work visa to a foreign worker. In this case, the employee's visa is "tied" to the employer who sponsors the employee. In case of termination of the employment contract, the employee's visa is canceled. Also, in certain cases, the employer is obliged to pay for the employee's tickets to the country of origin. It should also be noted that in practice, it is very common for the employer to provide additional guarantees in the form of buying tickets to the country of origin for the employee once during the contract or once a year. In addition, in case of the death of an employee, the employer is obliged to repatriate his/her remains to the country of origin.
The possibilities of termination of labor relations and contract termination largely depend on the type of the concluded contract. If the concluded labor contract is fixed-term, termination before the end of the term. Legislation provides that one party must notify the other party of termination 30 calendar days before the anticipated event. Persons with two years of continuous work experience, as well as in cases where the contract is terminated by mutual agreement of the parties, based on the relevant order of the Ministry of Labor, are not subject to the six-month restriction on employment with another company. In cases where the contract is terminated due to gross violations of labor laws or the terms of the employment contract, the employment restriction may be up to one year.
Every foreigner who has worked for a year or more is entitled to special payments upon dismissal: a salary of 21 days for each year of service in the first 5 years, and a payment of 30 days for each additional year. The total amount of payments cannot exceed 2 years of the employee's salary. Only Oman nationals may claim social benefits, including unemployment benefits. The company may, at its discretion, pay employees for insurance, housing, and transportation and offer other conditions of the social package.
The availability of comfortable living conditions and high salaries still attract more and more foreign labor forces.
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