Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom have been told by their foreign mission here not to be deceived by rumors and misleading media reports regarding the implementation of Nitaqat, the new Saudization, or nationalization, scheme being implemented by the government. The Philippine embassy said that emails being circulated within the Filipino community and press releases being churned out by a group acting as advocates for migrant workers are “giving the impression that the authorities of Saudi Arabia, in pursuit of Nitaqat, have taken to marking the visas of foreign workers exit only, when previously the visas were exit-re-entry visas.” “Saudi authorities are revising their rules to apply a six-year rule for foreign workers in companies that fail to meet nationalization targets. The revised rules, however, will not affect final exit regulations as they exist,” the embassy stated in its advisory to the Filipino community in the Kingdom. As announced by Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh, the Nitaqat scheme plans to limit residency of foreign workers to six years as part of a package of reforms to implement existing Saudization rules. The Saudi Ministry of Labor has categorized private sector companies covered by Nitaqat into blue, green, yellow and red zones. Companies in the blue and green zones are those that comply with the Saudization quotas. These companies will be given benefits and incentives from September 10 for their efforts in employing more Saudis. ? Companies in the yellow and red zones are those that have failed to comply with the Saudization scheme. Companies in the yellow category would be given nine months and those in the red category six months to improve their status by hiring more Saudis before facing punitive measures. As punitive action, yellow companies will not be allowed to extend the work visas of foreign workers beyond six years, which takes effect retroactively, while red companies will not be able to renew their foreign workers' visas. The Philippine Embassy strongly emphasized that there is no truth to the rumor that exit-reentry visas are being changed to exit visas when workers leave the country for annual leave or vacation. The Philippine Embassy also urged OFWs to take note that their passports will get a rectangular “Exit” stamp; and upon returning from vacation, the workers' passport will then receive an oval “Entry” stamp. “The Philippine Embassy and Consulates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are prepared to render assistance to our fellow citizens, particularly undocumented workers. We urge our fellow citizens to undertake the proper documentation of their identity and work; and for our fellow citizens to be discriminating about so-called information spread by excitable, even malicious, and irresponsible individuals or groups,” the embassy advisory said. __
