Expired work permits canceled after employers pay fees, penalties

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced that expired work permits are canceled via the Xpat system after employers pay all outstanding fees and penalties under a settlement agreement.

In an announcement made on Monday, the ministry said it is offering additional facilities to employers for managing work permits and employee records of expatriates.

Under the new arrangement, old work permits will be canceled upon entering a settlement agreement, even if the payment is not made immediately. However, the quota slot linked to the canceled permit will only be released once all associated fees and penalties are fully paid, the ministry clarified.

This follows the ministry’s recent decision to extend the deadline for employers who have signed settlement agreements to pay expatriate-related dues.

The government launched Operation Kurangi in May last year to collect data on irregular immigrants. After assuming office, the current administration expanded the initiative nationwide to identify illegal expatriates. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu disclosed that data on 178,982 expatriates was collected during the operation.

In parallel, Maldives Immigration and Maldives Police Services began a joint operation to identify expatriates involved in illegal trade.

The government has set a goal to resolve the issue of irregular immigrants within the first three years of its term.