Abu Dhabi - The scheme was originally scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 31.
Published: Tue 30 Oct 2018, 10:00 PM
Updated: Wed 31 Oct 2018, 7:31 AM
The UAE's ongoing visa amnesty scheme has been extended until December 1, 2018.
The scheme, which began on August 1, was earlier scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 31.
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship on Tuesday issued the statement, giving amnesty seekers an extra month to avail of the scheme.
Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidy, Acting Director-General of Foreigners and Ports Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said the decision to extend the deadline came to offer greater assistance to all those living in the UAE who have yet to fully legalise their status.
Great demand
The nine amnesty centres continue to witness several great demand with high footfall of amnesty seekers, he added. After deliberating on the matter, the authorities decided that extending the amnesty period for those who haven't fully completed their paperwork.
"There was some delay in processing applications at the start of the amnesty period due to some technical issues," Al Rashidy said. "Extending the deadline also helps counteract the effect of the delay some amnesty seekers may have faced."
Some embassies and consulates from a few countries were unable to issue or process documents in a timely fashion, causing further delays, according to the Brigadier.
He asked consulates and embassies to fully cooperate and push for greater efficiency in processing the documents for their citizens in time.
Khaleej Times had earlier reported that multiple diplomatic missions in the country had requested the government to extend the scheme to give illegal residents more time to regularise their status.
Authorities have warned that those who are caught staying illegally in the country after the end of the amnesty programme will have to face tough penalties.
Jobseekers after amnesty
Those who sought to rectify their status to remain in the UAE and look for jobs after being granted a six-month temporary residence visa have also been dealt with by the Amer and Tasheel centres across the country.
Several hundred UAE jobs are on offer for Indian amnesty-seekers who regularise their visa status, according to Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri.
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