Q: Hi, I was on a visit visa in Dubai in September 2016, I got a job and my employer applied for my employment visa in Oct 2016. When signing contract although I'm a real estate broker and that what is written in my offer letter as well, they put my visa under archives clerk as to avoid the cost of RERA certification. Also, the company was telling me to sell financial products which I have no experience in, so I resigned and left for India as my tourist visa was about to expire, my previous company is not ready to cancel my visa. Does this automatically put a 6 months ban on me and will it affect my ability to get a visit visa as my sister is based in Dubai? Please note that I have not entered UAE on their visa and it's expired on 17 Dec 2016.

Q: Dear Lawyer, I am cancelling visa with my current employer; they hold my passport for more than a week and my new employer is waiting for my passport to start new visa process. Now, my previous employer is telling me I have to pay all the penalties and bring the contract to Immigration (it was not said in the contract I have to stay with the employer for a specific amount of time). On top, I only signed offer letter and not contract, then they issued my visa without a contract basically. Now, they say I have to pay for their mistake. Can you please advise about my rights with this concern? Thank you!

Q: I am a doctor in Dubai. I joined a clinic from April 2019 to date. When I joined the clinic in April 2019, my visa was not renewed with the new clinic because I had already a valid visa with another company and I was not able to cancel my visa as that company was sealed and closed. The visa was changed only in January 2020 after the previous company cleared all their dues. Now I asked my current employer to issue me an employment letter/experience certificate for my CV/profile update (On Dataflow). HR has issued me a letter with dates from January 2020 to date, but my actual experience is from April 2019 to today. The employer says that this experience certificate can be used as a legal document to file a case against them that I worked without their visa from April 2019 to January 2020. Can you please guide me if this experience letter (for the purpose of my CV and Dataflow) has any legal consequences? And what can we do in this situation? I will greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Q: Hi, I am working for a mainland company operating in Abu Dhabi. The company didn't complete my visa in more than a year and I complained to MOHRE for unpaid salaries, non-payment of overtime. After complaining and when MOHRE started investigating the matter, the manager lied that I was not working with them and now only one month I started to work with them. They lied also that I suddenly leave the store and did not come back on duty after. But in fact, I started to come back on duty after registering the complaint. The employer was not going to pay I was assured, and earlier many times he verbally also told me I will lose the job if complained. My case was transferred to court from MOHRE and I have given a memo of rights but the employer didn't attend any hearing and now they will give a verdict after two weeks. My question is if I go for the execution of the judgment the same day I receive my judgment copy, can the employer appeal or he will lose the right to appeal once I make an application for judgment?

Q: Hello, Is there a solution for an employee who signed a two-year contract with a company in Dubai and was promised that the company would provide an employment visa within 30 days? However, the company failed to do so and did not even inform the employee. As a result, the employee's own visit visa expired, and the employee overstayed for two months and absconded. The company even took the employee's passport. The company has now been suspended for an unknown period of time, and the employee has not been paid since the suspension. How can the employee file a complaint against the employer in this case?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have already undergone visa screening and signed renewal documents, but suddenly my company has halted my visa processing due to my labor complaints about salary deductions. What are my legal options?

Q: Hi, I have an ongoing labor case, but my tourist visa is about to expire on December 25. Can I renew my visa and exit?

Three new ministerial decrees containing a new set of rules for the labour market were issued by the UAE Ministry of Labour last year and came into force on the 1st of January this year. The decrees are expected to alter the contractual relationship between employers and workers in the UAE.

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.

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.

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.

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).