People living in Qatar have reasons to be happy as the new residency law, which was published in the gazette last year, will come into effect on December 13.

The new law No. 21 of 2015 regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates is expected to bring in a shift in how things are done now.

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs had recently started a two-month awareness campaign to promote understanding about the new law.

The new law could have a large impact in the way expatriates work in Qatar.

Under the new law, the sponsorship (kafala) system will be replaced by a contract-based one. The exit permit system will be revoked and workers can come back to Qatar the next day of their departure if he/she found new work contracts, reported The Peninsula, quoting Jaznan Al Shammari, a prominent lawyer and vice-chairman of Qatari Lawyers Association.

The law is expected to have more teeth when it comes to resolution of labour disputes.

The original work contract will clearly mention the conditions under which a person can be terminated from his or her job.

Existing contracts of employees will be valid as long as he or she wishes to continue in the job.

All types of contracts are expected to start from the date of enforcement of the new law, regardless of how many years the employee had served in the company. However, this does not mean the previous years of service are not counted.