Other than the No Objection Certificate (NOC) the company releasing the employee will have to send its representative in person to the ROP office to give consent for the worker to join another firm. The new rule came into effect on Sunday.

Previously an expatriate could change jobs in Oman only if his/her previous employer had no objection. In the absence of an NOC the rule bars the expat from returning to the sultanate for work for two years.

'Now the sponsor or company representative (PRO) has to be present at the ROP office to attest and sign that the company being represented has no objection in releasing the employee to another company' an ROP official told Muscat Daily.

When contacted a Ministry of Manpower official said the decision was taken by the ROP.

By issuing an NOC a company will lose an expatriate visa from its quota.