Government tightens permanent quota rules for expat workers

 Ministry of Homeland Security has announced tighter regulations for issuing permanent work quotas to foreign workers, requiring additional documentation to register work sites.

Under the existing Expat system, foreign workers are required to register the location of their workplace when a quota is issued. The ministry said that, going forward, work sites will only be registered upon submission of a notarized work site declaration form and an accompanying affidavit. Both documents will be available through the Xpat system.

The ministry said it will also have the discretion to request further documentation if the registered work site is located on rented property, including a copy of the agreement between the employer and the building or landowner.

Foreigners who have already been issued permanent quotas have been instructed to update their work site registration details and submit the required forms and affidavits before the end of the month. The ministry warned that work site registrations will be suspended if the documents are not submitted within the stipulated deadline.

The ministry said the changes form part of broader efforts to curb illegal immigration and regularize foreign workers living unlawfully in the Maldives. The government has previously said significant progress has been made in this area over the past two years.

The ministry also said it plans to launch a special programme to provide employment opportunities to unemployed foreign workers, alongside its ongoing “Kurangi” operation to identify and take action against illegal immigrants. Authorities said individuals who fail to update their biometric information within the given timeframe will face enforcement action.

According to the latest figures released by the ministry, 181,093 foreign nationals have updated their biometric details so far.