Expat Job Seekers Heading For The UAE Warned To Take Note Of Their Visa Expiry Date

Expatriates looking to use the UAE’s six-month job-seeker visas are being warned to take due note of visa expiry dates or face fines and possible deportation or imprisonment.

Those using the visa’s six-months validity to find a job in the emirates should note a sponsor is not needed and that the visa doesn’t’ allow exemption or extension under any circumstances. For those wishing to extend their stays, a sponsor must be found and residency must be transferred, without which the visa holder must leave the country on the due date.

According to UAE immigration officials, the special visa was introduced to allow expat job-seekers to stay in the emirates whilst searching for a permanent position, rather than giving permission to enter for an unspecified length of stay as a tourist. Violators of the law will be treated in the same manner as those overstaying a residency visa and may face fines, imprisonment or deportation.

The immigration authority also pointed out the visa is aimed at those determined to get a legal job in order to stay in the UAE, with those employing foreign workers urged to ratify their sponsorships of applicants before a hiring takes place. For employers who ignore this ruling, the fine is Dh50,000, with the authorities stressing the state will not tolerate violators of visa or sponsorship rules. In August last year, the state launched a temporary exemption initiative aimed at encouraging visa law violators to resolve the situation without being arrested and punished.