The Ministry of Interior (MOI) has warned the public against illegal visa trading and violations of residency law, in an advisory that targets both applicants and the intermediaries who sell visas outside official channels.

The ministry issued the warning under the headline "MOI Warns Against Illegal Visa Trading, Residency Law Violations," a statement carried by regional news aggregator MENAFN. The advisory names two distinct offences: trading in visas outside the official system, and breaches of the residency law by individuals who hold or sponsor permits.

What does the warning cover?

The MOI statement addresses two categories of conduct:

• Illegal visa trading — the sale, transfer or brokerage of visas outside ministry-issued channels, typically through intermediaries who charge applicants for permits they cannot lawfully obtain.
• Residency law violations — breaches of the conditions attached to residence permits, including permits held or sponsored outside their authorised purpose.

The ministry framed both practices as unlawful and warned that participants expose themselves to legal consequences.

Who is affected?

The advisory reaches three groups. Migrants who obtain visas through unofficial brokers rather than the ministry's own application routes face direct legal exposure. Sponsors who transfer or lease their sponsorship rights for payment fall within the same prohibition. Intermediaries who broker such transactions operate outside the law altogether.

Visa trading has long been a enforcement priority for Gulf interior ministries, where residence sponsorship systems create a commercial market in permits. The MOI advisory restates the ministry's position that no visa may change hands outside the official process.

What should readers take from it?

The ministry directs all visa and residency transactions to its official channels. Applicants who buy visas from third parties, and sponsors who sell them, act outside those channels and outside the law.

The warning carries no individual legal advice; readers with questions about specific residency status should consult the Ministry of Interior directly or a licensed practitioner.

The core message fits in one line: visas obtained outside official channels are illegal, and both sides of the transaction answer for it.