Jeddah: King Abdullah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has extended by four months the amnesty period for undocumented expatriates in the Kingdom to correct their status. A royal order cited by a Ministry of Interior statement and carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday said the original three-month grace period, which ends on July 4, will be extended to the end of the current Hijra year 1434, equivalent to Nov. 4, 2013.
Once the new deadline expires, inspections by appropriate agencies such as the Ministries of Labor and Interior, will resume inspections in various regions of the Kingdom and all penalties will apply on violators, the statement said.With this new deadline, the Ministries of Interior and Labor urged all undocumented expatriates who have yet to register to come forward and have their status corrected.sources said.
The royal order comes amid uncertainty, with only two days left of the grace period earlier issued by King Abdullah. Hundreds of thousands of undocumented expatriate workers, including overstaying pilgrims and workers who escaped from their employers, have come forward to have their visa status corrected since the government issued the three-month grace period.
