Jordan gives violating expatriate workers until the end of September economy

Today, Sunday, the Jordanian government announced the launch of a wide package of measures to reconcile the conditions of non-Jordanian workers of various nationalities in violation, including exemptions from fees and fines and facilitation of movement between economic sectors, starting from June 15 until September 30, 2026.

Jordanian Minister of Labor Khaled Al-Bakkar said in a post on the ministry’s website that the decision aims to regulate the labor market and address existing imbalances, in addition to alleviating the financial burdens on employers and motivating them to correct the conditions of violating workers who did not issue or renew their work permits during previous periods.

Under the decision, employers and non-Jordanian workers will be exempted from 50% of work permit fees for all previous periods, in addition to a complete exemption from late fines resulting from renewing permits or moving to another employer.

The facilities also include exempting non-Jordanian workers from fines for overstaying by 100% if they improve their situation during the campaign period, in addition to exempting those wishing to leave permanently from all work permit fees and previous fines, while allowing them to receive their dues from the General Organization for Social Security.

Facilities and control

The procedures include allowing expatriate workers to move between various sectors and permitted economic activities, with the exception of some categories such as workers brought in after February 25, 2025, and workers in specialized skills professions.

The Oman government also allowed the transition to self-employed work permits, and granted additional facilities to workers whose permits expired or were canceled years ago, including workers in the clothing and knitwear sector and qualified industrial zones.

The decisions also included special facilities for domestic workers, including allowing some workers reported as absent to obtain new work permits with other employers according to specific conditions, in addition to facilitating their transfer to other work sectors in certain cases.

Minister Al-Bakkar confirmed that the Ministry of Labor will implement, in conjunction with the correction period, a comprehensive inspection campaign in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate of Public Security to arrest violating workers in various sectors.

He explained that after the deadline expires, the government will begin taking deportation measures against any non-Jordanian worker who has not rectified his situation and whose work permit has expired for 3 months or more without being renewed.

The decision to regularize the status of violating workers comes days after the Ministry of Labor announced on June 4, suspending the recruitment of non-Jordanian workers of various nationalities until further notice, with the exception of domestic workers and the garment and knitwear sector in the qualified industrial zones, and some specialized professions.

The Ministry said at the time that the decision came after a comprehensive review of the labor market needs during the period extending from the end of 2024 until the first quarter of 2026, with the aim of achieving a balance between the needs of the economic sectors and enhancing employment opportunities for Jordanians.

Unemployment and the labor market

The decision comes at a time when data from the Department of General Statistics indicate that the unemployment rate in Jordan will decrease to 16.1% during the first quarter of 2026, compared to 16.6% during the same period last year.

Ministry of Labor data also shows that there are about 327 thousand valid work permits for non-Jordanian workers in various sectors, while the agricultural sector is one of the largest sectors that attract foreign workers with about 72 thousand work permits.

The decision coincides with a government move to raise the employment rates of Jordanians in a number of economic sectors, including contracting, fuel, restaurants and hotels, with the aim of enhancing the contribution of national workers and reducing dependence on expatriate workers in some professions.

Despite the welcome received by the measures from labor authorities, experts believe that their impact on unemployment will remain limited unless accompanied by broader reforms in the labor market that include improving wages, working conditions and social protection, in addition to aligning education and training outcomes with market needs.

The government also faces an additional challenge represented by unregulated labor, as official estimates indicate that there are about 1.2 million workers from 24 nationalities working outside regulated frameworks, while about 7,000 illegal workers have been deported from 2025 until the first quarter of this year as part of government inspection campaigns.