Work permit window opens January 1 for irregular immigrants

Expatriates currently working in Maldives without valid documents or with expired work permits will be given three months to regularize their status starting January 1, the Homeland Security Ministry has announced.  

The ministry said the application process will be open from January 1 until April 2, as part of efforts to address irregular immigration. Employers and expatriates who wish to comply can apply through the Expat system during this period.  

According to the announcement, applicants must meet several conditions:  

• Work permit has expired  

• Not be blacklisted for any reason  

• Be currently residing in Maldives  

• Employer applying must not be the last issued work permit holder  

• Entered the country under a work permit  

• Not previously a regular expatriate  

• Not reported as absconding or missing in the Expat system before the end of this year  

Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan said expatriates will be given three months to obtain valid permits under the second phase of “Operation Kurangi,” which begins January 1. He noted that biometric data of 202,000 expatriates has been collected so far, and more than 9,000 irregular immigrants have been deported.  

The minister described irregular immigration as an “extreme” issue, with expatriates engaged in much of the country’s workforce and businesses. He said the final phase of the operation will begin on April 2 and continue until May 2027, during which authorities will conduct a major crackdown to arrest all irregular immigrants.  

By the end of the operation, Ihusaan said, all expatriates living in Maldives will be held accountable under the law.