DUBAI – A senior official has recently said the advantages of permitting visit visa holders to work legally in the UAE. The idea is that a work permit and additional legal requirements could be established to allow employers to hire visitors legally.
Currently, it is illegal for visitors to work while on a visitor visa in the UAE. Companies that violate this rule can face hefty fines and other penalties. To hire an employee, companies must first obtain an employment visa and work permit, reported Khaleej Times on Thursday.
Dr Ali Humaid bin Khatem, the advocate-general and head of Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution, believes legally allowing companies to hire visitors would create a mutually beneficial relationship. He suggested this during the Entrepreneurship Makers Forum earlier this week, hosted by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai in Al Khawaneej.
However, Dr Ali Humaid cautioned business owners against employing visitors because the current laws don’t allow it. He explained that a visit or tourist entry visa does not entitle a person to work in the UAE, and any enterprise found employing a person on a visit visa can face a fine of Dh50,000 per individual. He emphasized that it’s essential to respect these regulations and laws established to protect business owners and employees.
During a panel discussion at the forum, Dr Ali Humaid also expressed concerns about bogus Emiratisation, when a UAE national works in a nominal job without fundamental tasks to meet a company’s Emiratisation targets.
It is also considered fake if a UAE national is rehired in the same company to circumvent Emiratisation targets. In November last year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation referred 113 private companies to Public Prosecution for violating Emiratisation decisions, including 98 private companies that appointed citizens in bogus Emiratisation posts.
The Entrepreneurship Makers Forum’s second edition focused on the most prominent challenges young businesspeople face and ways to address them. Lieutenant-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, the director-general of the GDRFA, highlighted how content creators “bear a significant responsibility to bolster entrepreneurial innovators, amplify their influence, and empower them”.
Essam Lootah, the CEO of Imtiaz Service, discussed the crucial role of legislation and legal frameworks in supporting youth initiatives and strengthening sustainable development.
