Q: I don't have my passport but labour relation office give me a paper to cancel my visa. My labour card and labour contract are already cancelled by the labour relation office. My passport is with the sponsor. So, please tell me what to do next. Should I just go to the immigration for cancellation or complain first to ask for my passport retention?

Q: I recently ended up my contract with my employer because of a medical grounds. Actually, we don't have medical insurance, we are working 17 hours and I am not getting any assistance from the company. After submitting my resignation letter, my employer accepted it but requested me to leave the country then only after he will proceed with the cancellation. He finally agreed after a long period of negotiation. Now, the employment visa is cancelled and he forwarded me the residence cancellation where it's clearly mentioned that I have until 08 December grace period. I asked him to give me back my passport which he is keeping it since I started working for the company and he refused, saying that only on the 19th Jan in reference to my flight date which is 20th of January. In between, I received an offer with three times the salary I used to get and a lot of benefits including health insurance. As per the labour law, does he have the right to keep hold of my passport even after cancellation of my employment visa?

Q: Good day Sir, Please, I would like to know if it is legal for an employer to hold his employee's educational certificates and passport after frequent requests by the employee to return his documents? This has cost me a lot of loss in terms of time and money while doing online courses. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

Q: My boss cancelled my visa at the immigration and labour. But he did not give me my passport. He wants 1500 to give me the passport. What can I do, Sir?

Q: I have resigned from my company and I got my pending dues also. But my passport is with them. As per them, they will release the passport but I should have another visa or a flight ticket to my home country. Please advise

Q: My employer has already cancelled my visa, but they hold my passport.

Q: I have been disputing with my employer to release my passport as I have informed them that I will not sign the cancellation forms for my residence visa till I get my passport in my possession as I'm aware that the employer has no right to retain my passport for whatever reason. The employer stated that they will only release my passport when I sign the cancellation form plus show them that I have received my new visa or leaving the UAE within the 30 days grace period. I have repeatedly informed them that they don't have the right, but they keep telling me it's a new procedure that they need to hold my passport till I get a new work visa or leave the country within the grace period. In my offer and my labor contract, there is no statement or I have given them a written consent in the first place to hand over my passport. Please advise if I can open a case with regards to this.

Q: My visa is canceled by labor and they will transfer my all data to the federal authority of the immigration office for cancellation. But my employer can not give me my passport or my Emirates ID and it is required for cancellation. How I can recover my documents?

Q: Assalamu alaikum, sir. My employer is a local Emirati and he hired me as a cashier in a grocery store. He did not give me a contract on the first day, and when he applied for a visa for me, he did not ask me. He gave me his house visa as a servant. After 5 days, he canceled my work approval, and now my status shows that it was canceled before entry. I asked for my passport, but he is not agreeing to give it to me along with the cancellation paper. Now, he is saying that I have to go back to my country. Please give me some advice on what I should do!

An interview-format article covering the topic of an employer demanding to hold an employees passport. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of LAWGICAL with LYLAW.

An interview-format article covering the topic of filing an employment court case in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

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.

This Decree sets the rules and conditions for the termination of fixed-term (limited) or unlimited (not term-bound) employment contract between employer and worker in the United Arab Emirates.

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).