Visit Visa holders Must say no to job offers heres why
The ambitious and the career-driven always have an eye on UAE – one of the most lucrative and attractive destinations in the world when it comes to obtaining a job offer. The benefits are almost incomparable. This region provides some of the best business and employment opportunities in the world. Expats from all over the globe see places like Dubai as a cosmopolitan city which is not only strategically located and also offers a tax-free salary and a high-comfort life to go with it. World-class infrastructure and global exposure is the icing on the cake.
With the expo 20-20 coming up in a year, businessmen are looking to multiply their fortune by making the most out of the 30 plus million visitors who are expected in the 6-month duration over which this event is being held.
That is when the desperation to get here kicks in. This is from the points of view of both the employer and prospective employee. Good jobs and quality skills are hard to come by, and when both parties meet, the urge to offer and accept is very high. This prompts errors that could cause life long damages.
One of the primary requirements of accepting a job across borders is the Visa. Not just any visa but the right work visa. A permit that clearly states all the specifics related to job skills, entry dates, validity, job profile, etc. The process of obtaining this work visa is tedious and time-consuming. What most people tend to assume is that there is a short cut. A way to bypass this law and arrive in the country with only a visit visa. What is seen as ‘just a technicality’ to some is what would send them behind bars for years.
The desperate employee believes in false agencies who dupe them to make some quick money. They accept job offers while on a visit visa simply because he is reassured that he would get the employment visa in time. At the time of the expiry of the visit visa, they are sent back home. They are unable to get legal help in the matter because they do not have the correct paperwork. This puts them on the back foot and are forced to suffer subsequent lapses in the agreement such as failure to pay the right salary.
The law clearly states that a visit visa holder is not in a position to accept work with or without pay, self-employment or salaried. Violation leads to a fine of Dh 50000 per such worker. The amount will be doubled in case of repeated infringement. The consequences are not limited to the fine. The employer, if UAE National, is imprisoned for six months. Expat employees are deported without further questions.
Khaleej Times, a reputable newspaper in the UAE reported multiple violations of the law that takes place because of irregular paperwork. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but nothing is worth a black mark in the career and time behind bars.
The solution is simple. Connect with a reputable global employment agency and get the appropriate paperwork filed in time. Ensure that the offer letter is received by the company. From the point of view of the employer, a letter signed by the job seeker must be submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
The responsibility of ensuring the filing of the right visa for the right job lies in the hands of both the employer and the employee equally.
