Obligation to pay visa expenses to employer in case of early resignation

Questions & Answers

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I changed my mind after accepting a job offer. What are consequences?

Q: I am working in (Company A), I recently signed a MOL job offer letter from a company (Company B) in Dubai, however, I have since been offered another job which I wish to accept from Company C. Is it possible for me to withdraw from the original offer letter from Company B and sign with Company C? Note: I am still on employment visa from Company A. Does this affect the employee withdrawing from the offer? Will I still be able to accept the offer of Company C? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Nov 13, 2017

14308

Can I reject already accepted job offer before signing Ministry of Labour papers?

Q: Hi, I joined one company and I signed their company offer letter. I worked for a couple of days and found out that there are unlikely things happening. Now that they gave me the offer letter from the Ministry of Labor, I don't wish to sign it as I don't want to continue with the company anymore. Can I just leave the company or is there any procedure to be done? Thanks.

Nov 2, 2017

5171

Accepting a job offer and rejecting it to take another

Q: Hi, I am currently working in India. I have accepted a job offer from a company in Dubai. I have also signed and shared the MoL offer letter. While I am serving notice period in India I have received another offer from Dubai. Can I reject and accept the other offer? What are the legal implications around this step? Regards, A. S.

Sep 10, 2019

1623

Employer's right to ask the employee for visa expenses after termination

Q: Good Day I received a termination last week. Now my employer is asking me to pay him visa expenses and insurance expenses since my Emirates ID came out after begging only this month. I started working for the company in October. Since they are the ones who terminated me due to performance, should I pay for the visa?

Jan 23, 2020

1375

Can the employer ask the employee to pay visa expenses upon finishing contract?

Q: My two-year contract will expire in July 2021, and I resigned in January with a six-month notice period, as required by company policy. However, after I’ve sent the resignation letter, they've asked me to pay for my visa. They told me I needed to work for at least 5 years to cover all of the recruiting costs, which was sadly stipulated in my employment contract. As per my knowledge, employers are not permitted to reimburse any recruitment/visa expenses from employees. Furthermore, I will complete my 2 years contract so why do I need to pay it.

May 30, 2021

2035

What to do when you face an absconding case and request to pay visa expenses?

Q: Hello Sir. I wanna ask if I have the right to get help from MOHRE. My Iraqi employer filed an absconding case and wants me to pay AED 6,168 for visa cost and AED 8,000 for the commission they gave to the agency. I think it's unreasonable.

Jun 8, 2021

359

Legal blog

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An Overview of the New UAE Labor Law and Recent Amendments of 2024

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

Sep 10, 2024

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Laws & Regulations

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Federal Law No. (8) of 1980 Concerning the Regulation of Labor Relations

The provisions of this Law, known as "UAE Labour Law", govern the relationship between employers and employees and other labour matters in the United Arab Emirates. There are special labour related regulations applicable in some of the free zones in the UAE.

Apr 20, 1980

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Ministerial Decree No. (764) of 2015 On Ministry of Labour Approved Standard Employment Contracts

According to this Decree, tentative approval to admit a foreign worker for the purpose of employment in the UAE cannot be granted until an Employment Offer that conforms with the Standard Employment Contract is duly signed by the employee and presented to the Ministry of Labour.

Sep 27, 2015

5086

Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 On the Regulation of Labor Relations

The provisions of this Decree-Law, known as "New UAE Labor Law", govern labour relations in the private sector of the United Arab Emirates. The New Labor Law repeals the previous UAE Labor Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980).

Sep 20, 2021

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Mohammad Salah Shoaib

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كيف يمكنني الاستعلام عن قضية إبعاد أمني ومحاولة العودة إلى الإمارات؟

السلام عليكم، أود الاستفسار بشأن قضية إبعاد زوج خالتي من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. زوج خالتي كان مقيماً في الإمارات وكان قد وُلد وترعرع هناك. في عام 2013 تم إبعاده من الإمارات، وكان ذلك نتيجة لسياسات حكومية كانت تستهدف مجموعة من المقيمين في تلك الفترة، وهو لم يكن قد ارتكب أي مخالفة في ذلك الوقت وكان يُعتبر ضحية للسياسات المتبعة. أرغب في معرفة الإجراءات التي يجب أن أتبعها حالياً من أجل رفع هذا الإبعاد وتمكينه من العودة إلى الإمارات. أرجو أن توضح لي كيف يمكنني مساعدته في هذا الموضوع. شكراً جزيلاً.

May 1, 2025

My previous organization has not yet released EOSB because I contacted a client. Is this legal?

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Apr 30, 2025

Can I renew my trade license and visa if I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

May 1, 2025

How to file a case against my former company for unpaid salary I was not on their visa?

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

Apr 30, 2025

Does filing an online rental dispute by a landlord lead to a travel ban on the tenant?

Hello, Does the initiation of an online rental dispute case by a landlord in Dubai automatically lead to the imposition of a travel ban on the tenant? This is not related to bounced cheques; the dispute concerns wear and tear versus damage claims by the landlord.

Apr 28, 2025