Flexible work permit applicants to be exempted from penalties

Manama : Flexible work permit applicants will be exempted from paying penalties for their illegal stay in the Kingdom, it has been recently unveiled.

As per Resolution 108 of 2017 issued by Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa on Wednesday, they will only have to pay the residency extension or delay fees for one year or less before applying for the permits.

The resolution was published in the Official Gazette on Thursday and came into effect yesterday.

It was mentioned in it that the exemption will only include the approved applicants for the new permits and those who don’t have any reservations on their stay in the Kingdom.

The second Article in the resolution stated that the Labour Market Regulatory Authority shall collect the fees on behalf of Interior Ministry.

“The Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs shall implement this resolution, in coordination with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, on the following day to publishing it in the Official Gazette,” the resolution concluded. As reported earlier, the new flexible work permits were announced by the last quarter of last year. It was announced back then that they, the permits, would serve as a legal alternative to employing irregular workers. However, it was also underlined back then that the new permits will not include runaway workers, domestic workers or regular employees who’re working under valid contracts with their employers.    

The permits will allow workers to be sponsor themselves, provided they pay their own insurance and healthcare fees. They would bear their own issuance fees of BD200, healthcare fees of BD144 and a monthly social insurance fee of BD30. The expenses born by the workers would also include a deposit of the price of a flight ticket to the worker’s homeland. They will also be able to work for multiple employers simultaneously, be it working for individuals or organisations.