Oman to do away with mandatory NOC stipulation for foreigners' job change

Muscat: In a landmark decision, Oman has decided to make an amendment in its labour law to the effect that foreign workers can change jobs independently after their job term expires.

The change comes as a result of withdrawal of the stipulation that foreigners need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their previous employer to take up a new employment. 

The new law will come into effect on 1 January 2021.

The condition for non-application of the mandatory NOC change is that the worker's contract should have expired or the worker has been retrenched by the employer.  For this purpose, the worker has to produce evidence of either the expiry of the job contract or the retrenchment.

Expatriate communities in Oman have long been waiting for such a change,  which would enable job-seekers search  better job opportunities after being retrenched or their completion of the job term. 

The law was first implemented in 1996, and though it was rescinded in 2005,  it was reinsteted in 2015.   Therefore as per law in force now,  an employee can take up a fresh employment only if he furnishes an NOC from the releasing employer.