Visa Amnesty Seekers Share Stories of Second Chances as Initiative Ends

The UAE’s visa amnesty scheme has been widely praised for offering a fresh start to those needing to regularize their status after the expiration of their visas or violations of residency rules.

On the final day of the amnesty program, the amnesty center located on Sharjah’s Al Dhaid Road to speak with individuals taking part in the initiative. These individuals were seeking to secure their residency status or leave the country without facing heavy fines.

Due to the high demand, the scheme had been extended for an additional two months. More than 236,000 people who had been living in Dubai without valid residency papers have benefited from the amnesty program, with 55,200 of them being granted exit passes.

New Opportunities

The amnesty program gave Shaher Barakat, a 28-year-old carpenter from Egypt, a new beginning. "I arrived in the UAE two years ago on a visit visa, found work, but my residency was never processed," Barakat explained. This left him living in constant fear of being deported. “Now, I can walk the streets without fear,” he added.

Barakat mentioned that with his residency issue resolved, he would be able to return to Egypt with peace of mind, especially since he had left his fiancée behind. "Now, I’ll take a vacation to Egypt to get married,” he said with a smile.

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He described the amnesty as a "new chance at life," allowing him to find stable employment and live with dignity. “It’s been a gift for the New Year, and I hope the year ahead will be full of blessings and positivity for everyone," Barakat said.

Ahmed Ali, 36, also from Egypt, is another example of how the amnesty has changed lives. He arrived in the UAE six months ago with a work visa to join a construction company but decided not to process his residency because he was worried about being far from his children. Instead, he remained in the country illegally.

“When I found that I had adjusted well to life here, I wanted to process my residency but discovered I had accumulated fines,” he said. “When I heard about the amnesty, I immediately took the chance to clear my record. The next step is to fly back to Egypt for a vacation to see my three children before returning to my job here.”

A Long-Awaited Relief

Medina, a 26-year-old domestic worker from Ethiopia, was another beneficiary of the amnesty. She entered the UAE legally six years ago, but her employer never finalized her residency. Medina didn’t realize the legal consequences until she asked for annual leave to visit home two years later. Since then, she had been living in the country illegally and unable to visit her family, even during her mother’s critical heart surgery four months ago.

“When I heard about the amnesty, I rushed to the embassy to get a new passport,” Medina shared. "Now, I am finally going home to see my family after six long years."

For one Pakistani man who had been scammed by fraudulent recruitment agents in his home country, the amnesty was a lifeline. “I sold my house to pay Dh10,000 for what I thought was a legitimate work visa,” said the man, who chose to remain anonymous. The father of four arrived in the UAE only to find himself unemployed and unsupported.

He was promised a job as a delivery driver with a monthly salary of Dh3,000, but his sponsor delayed the necessary paperwork, leaving him stranded in the country for eight months. The amnesty gave him the opportunity to legalize his status and finally return home. “I have a wife and four children waiting for me,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to the UAE government for this compassionate gesture.”

Extended Amnesty

The visa amnesty program was launched by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security in August. The scheme included waivers on overstay fines and provided legal pathways for individuals to either remain or leave the country without fear of legal consequences. Those who regularized their status were also exempt from re-entry bans, allowing them to return to the UAE legally in the future.

However, after the amnesty period ends, strict measures will be enforced to ensure compliance with residency laws. Starting Wednesday morning, violators who secured employment contracts but failed to complete their residency processes during the amnesty will face penalties. The electronic system will reinstate any fines that were outstanding before the grace period, and previous travel bans will be reimposed if applicable.

The UAE has held similar amnesty initiatives in the past, including in 2018, 2013, 2007, and 2003. During these programs, hundreds of thousands of people who were living illegally in the country were given a chance to regularize their status. In the 2018 amnesty alone, around 105,000 people across the country received support.

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