Dubai: Are you planning to travel to UAE on visit visa and accept a job offer? If yes, then it is the time to reconsider your decision. Accepting a job offer may land you in trouble.
According to the report published in Khaleej Times, some companies in Dubai are offering jobs to visit visa holders despite the fact that it can land both employer and employee into trouble.
The employer may also exploit employee as they will not come under labour laws.
Sharing his experience, one of the Indian expat said that he had accepted job offer when he was on visit visa. The company had assured him that he will get a two-year employment visa. However, when his visit visa was about to expire, the company disclosed that he will not get an employment visa.
The expat further said that he was hired on a monthly salary of Dh 3500, however, he was getting Dh 3000. As the expat was on visit visa, he was forced to work on the salary of Dh 3000 without approaching court or police.
As per the law, visit visa holder cannot work in the country with or without pay or for his own. In case of violation, the employer has to pay a fine of Dh 50000 per such worker. The amount will be doubled in case of repeated violation.
Apart from the fine, if the employer is UAE national, he will be imprisoned for six months. Expatriate employers will be deported in case of violation.
Despite such stringent laws, some companies are hiring visit visa holders.
Companies usually appoint persons who are on visit visa if there is an urgency or if they want to appoint someone on a probationary period. Such a practice is usually followed in low-income jobs.
Another expat sharing his experience said that he had accepted job offer when employer promised to change his visit visa to a residency visa. However, after the expiry of the visit visa, his manager asked him to leave.
In such a situation, if an employee approaches court or police, the employer will be penalized. However, a penalty or ban may be imposed on employee too.
In order to accept job offering in UAE without landing into trouble, a job seeker must ask the company to issue offer letter. The employer must obtain jobseeker’s signature on the letter and submit it to Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. It is the responsibility of the employer to procure work and residency permits of employees.
Job seekers must also complete certificate attestation from UAE embassy or consulate in their home countries. They should also get attestation from the home country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It may be noted that possession of the passport is one of the important rights of every expatriate.