People who want to enter the UAE for work, visit, investment or other legal purposes could be exposed to visa fraud or labour scams.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has listed tips to avoid fraud involving employment and visas.
You must receive a job offer letter
If you are offered a job in the UAE, you must be given an offer letter issued by MoHRE. How do you know if the job offer is legit? You can check the job offer’s validity at the UAE embassy of your country, or use the job offer number to verify the employer at the MoHRE website (go to enquiry service, application status). After you sign the offer letter, your employer will send you an employment visa to enter the UAE.
Don’t work while on visit visa or tourist visa
A visit visa or tourist visa does not give you right to work in the UAE. Working under visit or tourist visa will bring you penalties and deportation.
The employer must pay for recruitment expenses
The employer is responsible for the payment of recruitment expenses, according to the UAE’s Labour Law. Therefore, the cost of processing your employment visa and other expenses related to your recruitment should be paid by the employer.
Make sure that the company legally exists
Scammers will use fake or non-existent companies to lure you with a job offer. To find out if the company really exists in the UAE, you can search the company’s English and Arabic name in the National Economic register and get company details.
Contact MoHRE for labour-related inquiries
You can get in touch with MoHRE to have your labour-related questions answered via telephone
(0097168027666), email (ask@mohre.gov.ae) or chat service on their website.
Verify the validity of your visa
If you have entry visa issued from Dubai, you can verify its validity at the GDRFA’s website.
You can verify the validity of an entry visa issued from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah at the eChannels platform.
Contact ICP or Amer for visa information
You can get help on visas and entry permits issued from Dubai through Amer. For visas or entry
entry permits issued from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, you can get in touch with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP).
You need a permit to work for more than one company
It is possible to work for more than one company in the UAE. However, you must get a permit from MoHRE so that your employer will allow you t work for another employer.
You must be in the UAE before you will be issued a residence visa
A residence visa cannot be processed for anyone while the applicant is outside the UAE. A residence visa can be issued only when the applicant is inside the UAE having entered the country on entry permit.
–Report by ICA–
