Job Discussion Forums

[SUZUKI]

I've been told that with a release letter (letter of no objection), there is no need to leave the country when changing jobs; that without the letter, one must leave.

Is this true?

[boundforsaudi]

If your employer knows you are leaving his employment, he will want to meet you at the airport to cancel your visa. He is responsible for you until the end of your contract. If you have vacation time you have the right to take your vacation in Oman. Tell him you are taking your vacation in Oman and are not leaving Oman until the last day of your contract, and he can meet you at the airport then. Try to arrange for your new contract with your new employer to begin before your old contract expires. Well in advance, give your passport to your new employer, with all your other paperwork, including your release letter, and have him arrange the new visa. Call your original employer and tell him what's up, and you won't be meeting him at the airport, and not to freak out, and he can call immigration and/or your new employer to verify what's going on. The immigration office will cancel the old visa when they issue the new one. When you get your passport back, show it you your old employer, or have him call immigration to verify his sponsorship has been cancelled.

If you can't get your new contract to begin before your old contract expires...a tourist visa could cover the gap. Explain the situation to immigration and try to get a tourist visa before meeting your original employer at the airport. The visa cancellation officer at the airport would normally more or less usher you onto your plane after he cancelled your work visa, but if you had a tourist visa, no problem. If they will not give you a tourist visa while you still have a work visa, maybe you can explain the problem to the visa cancellation officer, and instead of ushering you onto a plane he will usher you to the tourist visa desk.

If you do not have a release letter...I dunno, can you even get a new work visa, at least right away? Some employers won't hand you a release letter and will only provide it directly to immigration, at the request of your new sponsor.

[veiledsentiments]

This sounds all very civilized. Do you know teachers who have done it?

VS

[boundforsaudi]

In my case I had a couple of years left on my work visa when I declined a renewal of my employment contract and told my employer I had a new job. My employer would not give me a letter of no objection in hand, but said he would provide one to the concerned officials if and when when it was actually needed, and did. I don't know if he sent it to my new employer or to immigration at my new employer's request, or at immigration's request, or what. Something like that.

My old employer knew I wasn't planning on leaving the country because I was just taking a new job down the road, and he never demanded that I leave the country.

My new contract started before my old contract expired. After my first contract expired, there was still a month or so of dallyance before my work visa could be cancelled and re-issued under my new sponsor, during which time I had a contract with employer #2, but a work visa under employer #1.