Good news! Filipinos in Saudi Arabia without proper working documents are given another chance to correct their status and avoid punishments and arrest as the government of Saudi Arabia decided to extend the deadline of the amnesty until November 3.

The announcement was made a day before the previously set deadline which is July 3. The Philippines along with other countries that also have citizens working in Saudi requested for the extension of the grace period.

The presidential adviser on overseas Filipino worker (OFW and Vice President Jejomar Binay, expressed his gratefulness to the Saudi government, “The extension definitely eases the anxieties of thousands of kababayans and their families.”

The spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Raul Hernandez reminded Filipinos that are working illegally in Saudi to take advantage of the extension.

He said, “Undocumented Filipinos are advised to take advantage of this extension, and immediately proceed to the concerned Saudi government agencies or to seek assistance of our embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia for their repatriation or the regularization of their status.”

We also advise our kababayans (fellow Filipinos) to cooperate with the embassy and the consulate in order to make their repatriation and regularization procedures more efficient.”

Overseas Filipinos in Saudi who will fail to correct status after the new deadline may be punished with two years in prison and pay a fine of at least 100,000 riyal or $27,000.