DUBAI: The UAE government has announced changes in its visa policies following careful review of the current situation.
With this development, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) scrambled to inquire about their visa status as the updated regulations rescinded those made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
The new policies, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM), official news organization of the UAE government, took effect yesterday, July 11, 2020.
Assistance
In light of this, Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes said the Philippine missions in the UAE is on standby to provide assistance to OFWs who might be affected by the changes in the visa policy and opt to return home instead.
“Both the embassy and the consulate reiterate its commitment to assist all Filipinos who express their intention to return to the Philippines. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assures everyone that those who request to be repatriated will be assisted accordingly,” he said.
Another ranking DFA official said the Philippine’s foreign post in the UAE has, as of yet, no figures on the number of OFWs who could lose their legal status in the host-country as a result of the new policies.
The official assured nonetheless that DFA’s post in the UAE will provide help in line with the “whole gamut of services offered” to Filipinos abroad.
“The UAE government has every right to change or amend its rules, like all sovereign governments. To all affected, just like our mandate, we will help, assist, our nationals as much as possible,” the official said.
Travel agencies flooded with inquiries
The announcement caused travel agencies to be flooded with calls from OFWs inquiring about procedures.
“Kahapon pa (when the announcement was made). Maya’t-maya ang tawag sa amin. Hanggang sa bahay walang tigil,” said Larry Esguerra, office manager at MPQ Travel and Tourism.
“Walang tigil ang mga telepono, landline at mobile. Daig pa namin ang call center,” he added.
Sid Rivera, marketing manager at Al Qadi Tourism, said they were also having a huge volume of calls. “Nagpanic ang lahat. Super-dami ng mga tumatawag,” he said.
The new policies would, among others, cancel the Dec. 31, 2020 extension of residency visas that have expired between March 1 and 31, 2020.
It also cancelled the decision on the “validity of visas and entry permits for those inside the country from March 1, 2020 (to make it valid) until the end of December of this year.”
“The decision on identity cards that expired on March 1, 2020, being considered valid until the end of December 2020, will also be cancelled,” the announcement further stated, apparently referring to the national ID.
The Cabinet, in its decision, also granted certain grace periods of up to three months for the affected residents and nationals to renew their documents.
Meantime, the announcement worried those with plane tickets for the Philippines that were cancelled to a later flight.
Among them was Jhoy Dumol Cabanalan Sales of Iloilo in central Philippines who arrived in the UAE with a visit visa on March 5, 2020. Her visa has expired on June 5 and she was able to book a flight home scheduled for July 1 but was postponed to Aug. 4, 2020.
“Sana maka-uwi na ako ng Aug. 4. Gustong gusto ko nang umuwi,” she said. “Nakakalungkot na po dito.”
WAM said the decision was made “after the current situation was studied in detail to ensure that there were no negative effects or repercussions on various sectors.”
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