No Objection Certificate - Warning!
We are a family of four who has been in Qatar since spring. The children have settled well in their new school, they are teenagers and it wasn't easy to move them. It took 6 months of telephone call, mail messages and several visits to Qatar before we finally found school. In November my husband's contract was terminated due to disagreements with the employer and they are now refusing to give him the infamous NOC, without which no other employment is possible, and a ban of 2 years on employment is placed on us. What to do? Pack everything, take the kids out of school half way through the school year, and return home is the only option. There are jobs and his profession is highly needed in Doha, but alas without the NOC there is nothing we can do.
SO, everyone looking for a future in Qatar, or already working here: Beware - you are in the hands of your employer and there is a risk that you and your family could be forced to leave the country like criminals who are deported. We have written to the Minister to point out this extreme flaw in the Labour Law. In fact, the NOCs are not legally regulated and so can be used to punish employees at your discretion.
And another tip: if your company asks you to hand in your passport, demand a receipt with the date. If they keep it longer than necessary for the visa procedure, go to court and they will be fined QR 5.000!
Thank you LP. This is standard in good companies in Doha now. Do not be afraid to ask for it, if you get flack - beware!
Mandi
LP's got a point here people. Take his advise and prevent the mishaps.
OP - Thanks for sharing but this is normal here. Most people working here are aware of that and accept it as an occupation hazard if you like. Sad for you but can't be helped in these desertlands :(
When you take up a job in Qatar you give up some basic human rights! To compensate for that you should get at least an extra QR 10.000 per month! Or: make the Multiple Exit Permit a part of your contract, and: make the NOC a part of your contract! If the company hiring you has pure intentions, they will give you both. If they don't, you SHOULDN'T sign the contract! If you still do, stop lamenting in the end!!
sadly this is FAR from uncommon. In fact, from what I've seen, it's MORE OFTEN used to 'punish' employees than to actually do anything 'good' for Qatar. Employers can deny you an NOC and there is NO recourse for you-- so even if you finish your contract in good faith, they can still decide not to give it to you! I know loads of people who have been essentially forced to stay with employers because they know they won't be given an NOC if they don't renew their contracts, and they and their families will have to leave. This puts all the power in the hands of employers; while there are some good ones, far too many use this control for evil: because you can't switch jobs easily, there is nothing pushing employers to treat their staff well in order to keep them. They see NO reason to give raises, help with career development, or address concerns. Heck, I've even seen employers use their massive amount of control granted by the current visa system to tie up employees visas in paperwork (and without your Residence Permit, their employee then cannot get a car, rent an apartment, etc etc without their say so), and deny employees vacation time that's guaranteed in their contracts. You might get x number of days off, but if your boss won't give you an exit permit, there is NOTHING you can do. My grandmother died a few years ago and I had to beg and plead and grovel to get an exit permit off my sponsor in order to go home for her funeral. Disgusting.
Qatar cannot and will not develop into it's potential if it continues to endorse an unjust system like this!
Any development in 6 YEARS???
This situation sucks but it is by no means unusual. I know plenty of people in this situation. The good news is that it will probably change real soon. Qatar has applied for membership of the WTO and a condition of entry is free movement of labor. Relying on an NOC is clearly a restriction of labor movement so it will have to change. I do not know the timing on this but I understand it will be soon within the next few months.
In the meantime, your husband can get another job on a monthly contract until the situation changes. He and the rest of the family will not be "officially" resident in Qatar but you will be legal provided you all do the visa runs. Its not ideal I know, but it should work until the law changes and he can change sponsors.