The Philippine Embassy in UAE. ARCHIVE

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai advised Filipinos living and working in the UAE with concerns about their residency status to take full advantage of the upcoming two-month visa amnesty scheme. From September 1 until October 31, the Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) will waive fines and other penalties for visa violators, allowing them to change their residency status or leave the country with ease. "The amnesty program is a fresh start, providing all expatriates, with the chance to rectify their immigration status. For those unable to secure legitimate employment within the UAE, this program allows you to return to the Philippines with dignity and the option to re-enter the UAE in the future with the appropriate visa," according to the Philippine Embassy in UAE and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai in a joint advisory. The Philippine missions will also provide consular services, repatriation, and other inquiries related to the amnesty programme for overstaying Filipinos who wish to avail of these services. "We aim to ensure that every Filipino in the UAE avails of the chance to legalize their status and secure a bright future, either here or back home in the Philippines," the missions added. The Philippine Embassy in UAE also released a warning to Filipino expats earlier this month, urging them to be "vigilant in putting sensitive and personal information in scrupulous websites" after receiving reports of fake text messages and emails sending links to sites posing to be the official portal for the registration of the amnesty. The embassy strongly advised Filipino expats to refrain from engaging with these texts and emails and to only use verified and official channels for any visa amnesty registration or important updates. For Filipinos who wish to regularise their residency status and apply for the amnesty, learn the full details here. They can also contact the following: Philippine Embassy +971508137836 or +971504438003 Philippine Consulate +971 4 2207100 +971 56 4177558 (WhatsApp) Assistance to Nationals +971 56 5015756 FLE/Expat Media
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