The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced that expired work permits will now be canceled through the Xpat system once employers enter a settlement agreement and commit to paying all outstanding fees and penalties.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry said this measure is part of a broader effort to streamline work permit management and provide greater administrative flexibility for employers handling expatriate employee records.

Under the new arrangement, expired work permits can be canceled immediately after the employer signs a settlement agreement — even if the payments are pending. However, the quota slot associated with the canceled permit will only be released once all dues and penalties are fully settled, the Ministry clarified.

This update follows the government’s recent extension of payment deadlines for employers with active settlement agreements related to expatriate-related fees and fines.

The Ministry reaffirmed that the move aligns with the government’s efforts to regularize expatriate employment and improve compliance under Operation Kurangi, launched in May 2024 to collect data on irregular immigrants.

Following the administration’s expansion of the operation nationwide, data on 178,982 expatriates has been collected to date. Alongside this initiative, Maldives Immigration and the Maldives Police Service have been conducting joint operations to identify expatriates involved in illegal trade.

The government has set a goal to resolve the issue of irregular immigrants within the first three years of its current term, in line with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s broader policy of strengthening border management and labour governance.