Some green-category businesses are exploiting the employees who are under their sponsorship but want to change sponsors, according to Dr. Muhammad Al-Asmari, adviser to the minister of labor.

Al-Asmari told Arab News that they are asking for anywhere between SR 5,000 and SR 10,000 to grant them concessions.

“However, expat workers can check with the website of the ministry,” he said, adding: “We have a service called Red Yellow, which allows the user to know the status of their company. They can then enter their particulars and experiences and can find jobs with the listed companies in their fields. The company chosen will pay all the expenses.”

As the deadline for the grace period nears, expats are scrambling to their countries’ missions to obtain official documents to normalize their status.

Al-Asmari said that the ministry is cognizant of the fact that the embassies are overwhelmed with applicants.

“Therefore, we will consider persons violating the labor law since 1428H to be within the grace period even if it expires. But, to be eligible, they must have already submitted their papers for normalization,” he said.

He said the consulates should have been more cooperative with their communities.

There was no need for the communities to go to their consulates. “The consulates should have mobilized themselves and deployed their staff to allow their communities to benefit from the grace period. Once the grace period is over, no sector will be exempted,” he said.