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: Hi. I am here in the UAE on a visit visa. A company gave me an offer letter, but it's already 2 months since I'm working here and still, they did not process my employment visa. Now, my visit visa is going to expire soon. If they do not make my visa, can I file a case on the basis of offer letter? Where can I go for justice, and what do I have to do? Please advise me. Thanks

Q: I worked in the UAE under visit visa. The company owner has provided me visit visa but did not give me employment visa, and did not give me the salary. I came back to Pakistan. Please tell me how I can file a case under the UAE labour law when I have the offer letter which the company owner gave me, and how long will it take to lodge this case?

Q: I am an expatriate from India. I have received an appointment from my employer in April 2018 with an appointment letter as Sales Account Manager. The employer told me he will bring me to Dubai with a visit visa and then apply for employment visa when I start working. I joined the company on April 24th 2018 in Dubai and worked for 3 months and no employment visa applied by the employer for me. I generated business from customers from the market as per my job responsibility. As my visit visa expiry was due on July 22nd 2018, on July 20th 2018 I exit the country to India on their direction and came back again on a visit visa with the assurance of employment visa. Now, the company is not paying me the salary as mentioned in the appointment letter. I am working for the company without being paid any money. I feel that my position has been exploited by the organization for my blind faith in them. Is there any way I can claim salary from the employer legally, as I am working for the company?

Q: Hello, My employer, with whom I will sign the contract in UAE, has applied for my visa18 days ago, how long does it usually take for completing the full process of the visa? I am currently in Afghanistan.

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.

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 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.

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).