Oman Minister Agrees to Punjab Request to Lift Visa Curbs on Skilled Workers, No Order Yet
An Omani minister agreed to Punjab's request to lift visa curbs on skilled workers on 6 October 2026. Hiring fell from 81,587 to 607. What it means for you now.
An Omani minister has agreed to a Punjab request to lift visa restrictions on skilled workers from Punjab, the Punjab government said. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif made the proposal in Muscat on 6 October 2026. Oman's labour ministry has not announced any change, so no new visas are open yet.
The request matters because Pakistani hiring for Oman has nearly stopped. Pakistan's Bureau of Emigration registered 81,587 workers for Oman in 2024. From January to August 2026 it registered 607. The gap between those two numbers is the story, and the 6 October meeting is the first official sign that Oman may reopen.
Oman's agriculture minister agreed to the proposal in Muscat
Maryam Nawaz met Saud bin Hamoud bin Ahmed Al Habsi, Oman's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, in Muscat. The Punjab government's press handout, dated 6 October, says she "proposed measures to lift restrictions on the arrival of skilled workers from Punjab in Muscat". It adds: "The Omani minister agreed to the proposal for lifting visa restrictions."
Two points need care. First, the agreement came from the agriculture minister. Work visas in Oman are issued under licence from Oman's Ministry of Labour. Second, the handout records agreement to the proposal, not a decision. No date, quota or list of trades was given.
So treat this as a promise to look at the issue. It is not a reopening.
Pakistani hiring for Oman fell 99 per cent in two years
The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) registers every Pakistani who goes abroad for work. Its country table shows how sharply Oman dropped.
| Year | Pakistanis registered for Oman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 82,380 | Up from 38,350 in 2021 |
| 2023 | 60,046 | Down 27 per cent |
| 2024 | 81,587 | Up 36 per cent |
| 2025 | 9,375 | Down 89 per cent |
| 2026, January to August | 607 | Eight months only |
From 81,587 to 607 is a fall of more than 99 per cent, even allowing for 2026 being a part year. The UAE shows no such collapse in the same table: 64,130 in 2024, 52,664 in 2025 and 51,246 in the first eight months of 2026.
BEOE's table does not give a reason. We found no official Omani or Pakistani notice that explains the fall. The Punjab handout now uses the word "restrictions", which is the closest any government statement has come to naming the problem.
What the Punjab handout does and does not say
The handout covers a broad agenda. Labour was one line in a meeting about farming, fish and meat.
- Skilled workers: Punjab asked Oman to lift curbs on skilled workers from Punjab. The minister agreed to the proposal.
- Shrimp: the minister offered to set up Punjab's first shrimp centre.
- Meat and livestock: Punjab offered to export meat to Muscat, and both sides agreed on steps to raise livestock exports.
- Training: Maryam Nawaz said thousands of young people in Punjab had been trained to market needs under the Skill Development Programme.
The handout does not say whether the change would cover all Pakistanis or only Punjab. It does not name trades, and it does not say which Omani body would act.
On 7 October Maryam Nawaz also met Oman's Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Dr Khalfan bin Said bin Mubarak Al Shueili. According to a second Punjab handout, he said a large Pakistani community in Oman was making valuable contributions to the country. That meeting was about housing, not visas.
This follows federal talks on Oman jobs in September
Punjab is not the first to raise it. On 29 September 2026, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme, discussed jobs for Pakistani youth with Oman's labour ministry in Muscat. Oman's labour undersecretary then promised continued work on labour mobility, but announced nothing specific.
Two visits in two weeks show both governments are talking. Our reading is simple: the Omani side is warm in public, and the numbers have not moved yet. The next real signal would be a notice from Oman's Ministry of Labour, or new Oman demand appearing at BEOE.
What Pakistani workers should do now
Do not pay anyone for an "Oman visa now open" offer on the strength of this news. Agents often sell a headline before a policy exists. Here is a safer order:
- Wait for an official notice from Oman's Ministry of Labour or Pakistan's Bureau of Emigration. A ministerial agreement in a press handout is not a visa.
- Learn how a real Oman work visa works. The employer applies under a labour licence, as set out in how to get an Oman work visa from Pakistan.
- Check any agent's licence first, using how to check an overseas job agency. BEOE's own fee table caps the agent's service charge at Rs 15,000.
- Get emigrant protection before you fly. BEOE's fee for it includes Rs 2,500 for insurance and Rs 4,000 for the overseas workers' welfare fund.
- Keep your skills paperwork current. If Oman opens to "skilled" workers, a recognised trade certificate will likely matter more than an agent's promise.
Common questions
Has Oman lifted its visa restrictions on Pakistanis?
No. An Omani minister agreed to Punjab's proposal on 6 October 2026, but Oman's Ministry of Labour has announced no change.
Who agreed to the proposal?
Saud bin Hamoud bin Ahmed Al Habsi, Oman's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, according to the Punjab government's handout.
How many Pakistanis went to Oman for work in 2026?
607 from January to August 2026, on the Bureau of Emigration's table. In 2024 the figure was 81,587.
Does the offer cover workers from Sindh or KP?
The handout speaks only of skilled workers from Punjab. It says nothing about other provinces.
Should I pay an agent for an Oman visa now?
No. Wait for an official notice. Any agent must hold a valid BEOE licence, and the official service charge is Rs 15,000.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 9 October 2026, about 6am PKT. We read the Punjab government's press handouts of 6 October and 7 October 2026 on the Directorate General Public Relations website. The emigration figures are from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment's country-wise table for 1971 to August 2026, as we read it on 29 September 2026. The percentages are our own arithmetic. We found no notice on this subject from Oman's Ministry of Labour.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
