New Mandatory Work Permit Category For Skilled Workers Requires High Government Fee

At a Glance:

The Ministry of Labour in Jordan created a mandatory new work authorization route for highly-skilled foreign workers that requires a higher government fee than regular work permits. Employers can hire foreign nationals in skilled professions when there is no qualified Jordanian job seeker available on the labour market. The government has not yet clarified how it will determine this and has not released a list of skilled professions that will be subject to the new process. Until there is a list of affected professions, the Ministry of Labour will continue to exercise a high degree of discretion when adjudicating such applications. The situation

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) in Jordan has issued new regulations that among other changes, create a mandatory new work authorization route for highly-skilled foreign workers.

A closer look

Who must apply for the skilled work permit. Foreign nationals must apply for the skilled work permit when there is no qualified Jordanian job seeker available on the labour market, particularly when: there is a shortage of local workers with in-demand skills (the government is expected to release the list of shortage occupations in the coming weeks); the applicant possesses rare expertise and knowledge that can be transferred to the Jordanian labour market; or the employment of foreign skilled workers will contribute to the economy by generating job opportunities for Jordanians. Validity period. The skilled work permit is valid for up to one year with the possibility of renewal. Higher government fee. The government fee for new category of work permit for skilled workers is JOD 2,500 (USD 3,526), significantly higher than the recently-standardized fee of JOD 500 (USD 705) for most other work permits, and much higher than the fee now applicable in free zones (JOD 275 per permit - approximately USD 388). Unknown information. The government has not yet clarified how it will determine that an employer can hire foreign workers in a skilled profession and has not yet issued a list of professions affected by the new rule. It is also unclear whether the government is applying the new standards to pending work permit...