Q: Hi Sir. Hope you are doing well. I came to Dubai on a visit visa in 2014. I got a job and the owner of the company asked me for money to issue the employment visa. I paid him the amount, but the employer didn't apply for my visa and went to his country. I filed a case against him in the court, but he didn't come to the court after he returned to Dubai. The main problem was that I had given him my original passport, and that's why I didn't exit the country. After 10 months, I went to Al Aweer jail and I took exit without paying overstay fine. I had given fingerprint and eye scan also. Now, I want to come back on partner visa and I want to know if I can come on that visa or not. If you help me on this matter, I will be very thankful to you.

Q: Hello Sir, A friend of mine was offered a job in Dubai on a visit visa, and he is working at the company for almost past 4 months on the same visa. Last month, his visit visa was expired and overstayed. The company had cleared his overstay and has issued him yet another visit visa for a month. Now, whenever he asks the HR for work visa status, he is not getting a proper reply. My friend says he does not want to continue, but the company has the passport and they are not giving him the passport. He knows that working on a visit visa is illegal in the UAE, and he wants to quit. What are his options? Should he contact the labour department or MOL? Will he be deported, fined and/ or jailed?

Q: I have been on a visit visa. I found a job with a company. My visa expired. The company is telling me to lie to immigration that they just hired me. They told me that I should cry so immigration has mercy and forgive the overstay. The manager said that I should go to the airport and cry there. I am Ugandan. Please advise me!

Q: Asalmu Alaikum, Dear Honorable Lawyers! I have a question regarding a 70-year-old man who has a rental case in Ajman involving 20,000 dirhams. He has paid 10,000 dirhams, leaving 10,000 dirhams still due. This poor elderly man’s visa has expired, and due to his age, he is unable to find work and has no money for food. How can he resolve his rental case and pay the remaining amount? He has not returned to his home country, Pakistan, for the past 11 years. Is there any law in this country that allows for the waiver of outstanding rent? If something happens to him because of these 10,000 dirhams, or if he passes away here, who will be responsible? Kindly let me know if a waiver application can be submitted for this amount and whom to contact for assistance. Who can help him in this matter, as he has no money? Thanks!

An interview-format article covering the topic of overstaying your tourist or resident visa in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW. Ludmila discusses the aspects of overstaying, like fines, grace periods, exemptions...etc.

The UAE attracts a large population of expatriates from around the world for business or leisure. It occurs sometimes that those expatriates violate the rules of their visas and incur overstay fines which accumulate the longer they stay beyond their visa's expiry date. This may result in travel restrictions, banning violators from entering the UAE for a certain period or lifetime. The UAE authorities have now announced a two-month scheme for violators to rectify their situations.