sponsorship law

I have heard the sponsorship law is changing. In future a wife will not be entitled to sponsor her husband. Can anyone confirm this?

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) does not approve of the way in which photographs of expatriate workers are displayed in newspapers by their employers when they are either leaving for good or on long vacations.

The photographs with notes asking people to file claims (if any) against the departing workers hurt human dignity and their professional reputation, says a senior NHRC official.

Legal advisor Mohamed Fuwad told Al Sharq in an interview the rights panel will soon be contacting media organisations and the authorities concerned in a bid to help curb this practice.

“Photographs with notes are published in local newspapers not only of those expatriate workers who are leaving for food but often of those as well who are proceeding on long holidays,” he said.

Bahrain’s new sponsorship law, giving expatriate workers similar freedoms to Bahraini nationals, has the support of labour ministries across the Gulf, the Bahrain labour minister has said.

But, HE Dr Majeed Al Alawi added, “huge lobbying from the private sector” has to date prevented them from going ahead.

As revealed by Construction Week in April, Bahrain will become the first Gulf state to abolish its existing sponsorship system, allowing foreign workers to switch jobs without the consent of their previous employer, from August 1.
The move represents a substantial shift in a sponsorship system that is common across the GCC states.
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This is the third time my employer refused my request to give me release, even though they promised each time that they will release me next time. I have been working in Finance since 12 years in the same company. The last offer is simply 3 times higher than my current salary with many other benefits. My current salary is not even US$1000. The sponsorship law in Qatar is the main villain for hundreds of people like me to stick to work in a single company for decades with whatever they offer. While most GCC countries reduce the re-entry ban period, here they were advicing for 5 years.

New criticism of the Qatar sponsorship law has arisen, along with hopes that Qatar may follow Bahrain in abandoning a law which some highly placed Qataris have criticised - but which others see as essential for business.

::A Controversial Law::

The Qatari sponsorship law is a system where expatriates are sponsored by their employers, and need their sponsor's permission to leave the country, open an account, obtain an alcohol permit, change their job and numerous other activities which are counted as a basic right elsewhere. If people leave their job, they can be blocked from returning to Qatar for two years - devastating for those brought up in Qatar and who have their lives and families here.

johny_boiei - if you quote your source QL may give you your article back, but as it is you put QL in line for a copyright law suit.

http://www.qatarlivi...
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Sponsorship rules eased; QCCI happy
Web posted at: 6/30/2009 6:59:29
Source ::: The PENINSULA / By MOHAMMED SAEED

DOHA: Expatriates who work under personal sponsorship are now allowed to work with companies owned by the same sponsor and a transfer of sponsorship is no more required in such cases.

Similarly, those working under company sponsorship can work in the house of that company’s owner and the employees will not be considered as working outside the ambit of their legal sponsor.

Qatar’s sponsorship law is not providing enough incentives for nationals to find employment, according to the director general of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP).

Sheikh Hamad bin Jaber Al Thani, told a labour market strategy forum on Monday that the current system was hindering the nation’s development.

He said there were not enough incentives for Qataris to learn new skills to be able to compete in the local job market, reported The Peninsula.

He said the current sponsorship law system meant employers tended to recruit foreigners with sub-standard skills on lower salaries.

“This is not good for the national economy. These workers are less productive over the long term,” he said.

Article 61 of Qatar ’s Labour law

Web posted at: 3/1/2009 4:44:40
Source ::: The Peninsula

Workers dismissed by their employers on the following grounds (as per Article 61 of Qatar’s labour law), or on similar grounds by a government department or agency as per their rules, cannot return to Qatar to take up employment with another company before completing four years outside the country. Four years are to be counted from the date of their departure from here:-
Article 61

The employer may terminate the services of an employee without warning and without paying end-of-service benefits in the following cases:
1. The employee is found impersonating other nationalities, has submitted false documents and certificates.

I left Qatar on 08th April 2009 because my mom died .Unfortunately, my employer doesn't want me to comeback for work without any formal closure.Is it true be under the new sponsorship law 2009 it is mentioned that a person left from qatar on his own can return after 2 years from the date of departure. While leaving from Qatar, in my case my passport has no stamp. I heared that the visa will be cancelled automatically after six months from the date of exit. Kindly clarify if the 2 year ban is from the date of departure or from the date of visa cancellation.My RP will expire on 29Nov'09.Waiting for your advise, thanks a lot!