MUSCAT: Pakistan and Oman are continuing talks on widening visa access for Pakistani workers, with the ambassador describing Muscat’s opening of 14 professional categories as a step forward and citing a sharp decline in emergency travel documents issued by the Pakistani embassy as evidence of improved compliance.

His Excellency Syed Naveed Safdar Bokhari, Ambassador of Pakistan to Oman, said discussions are ongoing to further relax visa restrictions, including for semi-skilled and unskilled workers, while stressing that Pakistan has taken measures to address concerns over document fraud, illegal immigration and visa misuse.

Speaking exclusively to The Arabian Stories ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day, His Excellency Bokhari welcomed Oman’s decision to open visas for 14 professional categories.

“These are all professional categories,” he said, listing doctors, nurses, teachers, IT professionals and engineers among those covered. He added that several financial-sector categories have also been opened.

However, the ambassador acknowledged that most Pakistani manpower exports to Oman remain concentrated in the semi-skilled and unskilled segments.

“So, we are continuing those discussions with Oman,” he said, indicating that Islamabad is seeking wider access for workers in these categories.

Addressing concerns over document fraud and visa misuse, His Excellency Bokhari said the strongest assurance Pakistan can provide is the action already taken by its government over the past year.
He stressed that illegal immigration is a global issue rather than one specific to Pakistan or any particular region, but said Pakistan is focused on reducing the problem as much as possible.

According to the ambassador, Pakistani authorities have increased scrutiny of passengers departing the country and prevent people from boarding flights when their documentation is not in order.
The number of emergency travel documents issued by the Pakistani Embassy in Oman has fallen by approximately 50 percent over the past year, His Excellency Bokhari said. Such documents are issued to people who arrive in Oman and subsequently require assistance, including cases involving violations of local law or illegal immigration.

“If you look at the stats and if you look at our efforts, I think we have a very healthy picture. We have a good momentum. The trend is positive,” he said.
His Excellency Bokhari said Pakistan hopes the positive trend will contribute to the opening of visas for additional categories, including semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
However, he clarified that visas for some workers in these categories are already possible on a project-specific basis.
“If an investor has a big project and he needs some semi-skilled workers from Pakistan in a certain category or some unskilled workers from Pakistan for a specific project, they can apply, they can get visa,” he said.
Broadly, however, visa access remains restricted, and Pakistan is continuing talks with the Omani authorities to secure further relaxation.
The ambassador’s comments come as Oman continues its Omanisation drive and Pakistan seeks to increase the number of skilled and professional workers joining the Omani labour market.

Earlier in the interview, His Excellency Bokhari said Pakistan is seeking to move beyond its traditional role as a supplier of manpower by increasing the number of professionals recruited by Oman.

He said Oman is already discussing the recruitment of professionals from Pakistan in various sectors, while private companies are also hiring Pakistani professionals.

The proposed approach, he explained, is to make recruitment more demand-driven, with Omani employers identifying their requirements and Pakistani training centres preparing workers accordingly. Testing centres could also be established to allow Omani authorities or employers to assess candidates’ skills before they travel.

At the same time, His Excellency Bokhari said demand for Pakistani semi-skilled and unskilled workers is likely to remain, particularly as Oman continues to focus on areas such as real estate and construction.
“The aim, of course, is to enhance the number of professionals coming to Oman,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted sectors with potential for deeper Pakistan-Oman cooperation, including food security, logistics, energy, IT and technology, artificial intelligence, space and joint manufacturing.

He said Pakistan increasingly views Oman not only as a market but as a potential regional hub connecting Pakistani businesses to the GCC, Africa and other markets through Oman’s economic zones and trade agreements.