Q: I have a labour case in Dubai Courts. The court already issued a judgment that the employer has to pay me, but the company has already closed. My visa will expire next week and I need to cancel it because I have a job offer letter from another company and got a temporary work permit also. Please, help me. How can I cancel my visa and labour contract so that I am able to join another company?

Q: I have resigned from “A” after receipt of a job offer from “B”. Then, I kept my family visa on hold and asked "A" to cancel my visa almost 1 week before my last working day. I submitted my visa cancellation paper along with a singed MOI contract to “B”. Now "B" is not responding well and asks me to stay with “A” because of the present COVID 19 lockdown situation. After wasting lots of time, B confirmed that they have applied for a work permit, however, I haven’t received any official confirmation from B's HR. I have checked online on MOHRE website and it shows pre-approval for a work permit. If "B" will not be responding, should I need to worry about my job and visa status? In case "B" will not be responding, do I need to leave the UAE before my visa expiry date. i.e 30 days after visa cancellation? If I stay in the country and join "B" someday, who must pay the overstay fine; B or I? If "B" did not recruit me, then do I have the right to take legal action and ask for compensation towards damage?

Q: Hi, I was supposed to start a job at a new company after having resigned from my old job and completed my notice period. The new company issued me an offer letter, contract, and work permit, however, they have kept changing the start date, and now, after waiting 6 weeks to start the new job, I’ve been told that the offer has been withdrawn due to a hiring freeze. I’d like to know what Legal options I have as I have suffered financial loss, incurred visa overstay fees for my partner and child’s visas because I was unable to apply for their new visas. I am unable to go back to my old company and the only option I have is to return back to my home country as I cannot continue to incur further overstay fines. What legal options do I have? Can I claim compensation? Please advise!

Q: Dear Lawyers, How long can it take to cancel a work permit, and is it possible to get an outpass at the airport when my work permit is still active?

Q: Hello, My work permit is cancelled in MOHRE, but immigration says it’s not cancelled. When I ask MOHRE about this, they tell me to ask immigration, and when I ask immigration, they tell me to ask MOHRE. Because of this issue, I have been without a job for a few months.

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.

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).