ABU DHABI: The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) will use smart systems and artificial intelligence (AI) to implement the decision to exempt those violating the residency system from fines, according to Acting Director General of the authority, Major General Suhail Juma Al Khaili.
Last week, ICP issued its decision to grant a two-month grace period for violators of the residency system to settle their status, starting from September 1, while exempting them from financial fines due on them in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Law on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners.
ICP stressed that the initiative aims to give violators a new opportunity to amend their status in accordance with the law, taking into account their circumstances based on the values of mercy and tolerance on which the UAE has been founded.
The authority will take all necessary measures to implement the initiative by exempting violators from fines and legal consequences, and enabling them to adjust their status or leave the country with ease.
In 2018, an initiative was launched to amend the status of violators under the slogan “Protect yourself by amending your status”. The initiative granted a violator who voluntarily applied to amend his status a full exemption from all fines incurred against him, without including his name on the deprivation list, and allowing him to return to the country with a new visa. It provided those wishing to remain in the country with a temporary residence, not conditional on the presence of a sponsor for a period of six months, with his registration in the virtual labour market system, which allows him to search for a job that suits his qualifications, experience and skills, and then transfer his sponsorship to the new sponsor.
The initiative, which lasted for five months and aimed to enable violators to rectify their status recorded a response rate of over 88 per cent, and tens of thousands of individuals and families benefitted from it.
It may be noted that the upon one’s expiry of the residence visa, UAE grants a grace period of 30 days to remain legally in the UAE. The residence visa must be renewed before the expiration of that period to avoid the Dh50 per day overstay fine.
