Visa amnesty seekers tell of second chances and new beginnings as initiative comes to an end

Final day of extended scheme sees high emotion and relief among overstayers

Overstayers in Dubai's Al Awir centre seeking assistance during the amnesty. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The UAE's visa amnesty scheme has been praised for offering a new start for those needing to change their status following the expiration of their visas and residency violations.

The National visited the amnesty centre on Sharjah's Al Dhaid Road on Tuesday, the humanitarian initiative's final day, to speak to amnesty seekers hoping to secure their status or leave the country without being fined.

The scheme had been extended for two months due to high demand. More than 236,000 people living in Dubai without valid residency documentation have benefited from the visa amnesty drive. Among those were 55,200 who were issued exit passes.

New opportunities

The scheme offered Shaher Barakat, 28, a carpenter from Egypt, a fresh start. “I arrived in the UAE two years ago on a visit visa and found work, but my residency was never processed,” he told The National. This left him in constant fear of deportation. “Now I can walk the streets feeling safe, without fear,” he said.

Mr Barakat said he could now return to Egypt without worrying about being unable to come back, especially since he had left his fiancée behind. “Now, I’ll take a vacation to Egypt to get married,” he said.

He described the amnesty as a “new chance at life,” giving him the opportunity for dignified employment and stability. “It has been a gift for the New Year and a sign that the coming year will, God willing, be positive and full of blessings for everyone,” he said.

Ahmed Ali, 36 from Egypt, is another example of how the amnesty has transformed lives. He arrived in the UAE six months ago on a work visa for a construction company but chose not to process his residency due to concerns about living away from his children. Instead, he remained in the country illegally.

“When I found that I had adapted to life here, I wanted to issue my residency, but I discovered I had accumulated fines,” he said. “When I heard about the amnesty, I immediately took the opportunity to clear my record. The following step is to fly back home on a vacation to see my three children in Egypt before returning to the job I secured here.”

Medina, a 26-year-old domestic worker from Ethiopia, who would not reveal her full name, said the amnesty was a relief. She entered the UAE legally six years ago but her residency was never finalised by her employer. She was unaware of the legal implications until she asked to take annual leave to travel home two years later.

Since then she had been living in the country illegally, unable to visit her family, even for 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 said. “I am finally going home to see my family after six years.”

For one Pakistani man who fell victim to fraudulent recruitment agents in his home country, the amnesty was a lifeline. “I sold my house to pay Dh10,000 for what I believed was a legitimate work visa,” said the man, who did not share his name. The father of four had arrived in the UAE only to find himself jobless and unsupported.

He was promised a delivery driver role with a monthly salary of up to Dh3,000, but his sponsor repeatedly delayed the necessary paperwork, leaving him stranded for eight months. The amnesty allowed him to legalise his status and finally return home. “I have a wife and four children to go back to. I am deeply grateful to the UAE government for this compassionate gesture,” he said.

Shaher Barakat, 28, from Egypt, took advantage of the amnesty on its final day. Photo: Salam Al Amir

Extended amnesty

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security launched the amnesty in August. The scheme included waivers on overstay fines and facilitated legal pathways for people to remain or leave the country without fear of legal repercussions. Those who regularised their status were also spared re-entry bans, allowing them to return to the UAE under proper documentation.

After the amnesty period ends, strict measures will be in place to ensure adherence to residency law. From 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 outstanding fines listed before the grace period and reimpose any prior travel bans if applicable.

The UAE held similar amnesty initiatives in 2018, 2013, 2007 and 2003, during which hundreds of thousands of people who were in the country illegally sought help. In the 2018 amnesty alone, around 105,000 people across the nation received support.