Dubai, UAE

Cancellation of employment visa and extension of grace period

Hi,

I have a labour case in Dubai Courts. The court has not issued a judgment yet and postponed the next hearing (date: 14 February 2019) which is beyond my visa expiry date (07 February 2019).

The company owner has not attended the first 3 hearings, Now, he is away from the country and his trade license has not been renewed for the second term.

I am unable to work somewhere else because my labour card is not cancelled. I am having a hard time now because of these issues and the court proceedings are in the 3rd month.

My family visa (2 members) expires in August 2019.

Do I need to cancel their visas before my visa expiry date or get special permission to retain their visas until expiry dates since I am having a pending labour case and applied to the court for a temporary stay order?

Please, help me. How can I cancel my visa and labour contract so that I am able to join another company and start earning a living?

Thank you

Nikhat Sardar Khan

Kochhar & Co Inc. Legal Consultants (Dubai Branch)

Chat

Hire

Meet

17 Jan 2019, 20:20

It's pity that one human treats another human this way. Now since you are at the court proceedings stage, you have to do the following.

Where is your passport? If you do not want your end of service benefits, then make an application to the court to cancel your visa and passport.

Otherwise, please make an application as below to grant you the relevant permission.

STEP 1 - request the court to provide you with a certificate stating that you have a labour case pending before the court.

STEP 2 - Please apply to the Ministry of Labour to grant you permission to work temporarily which will be for six months. Attach the court certificate with the application related to the temporary work permit before the Ministry of Labour. This may grant you the temporary work permit. SO START APPLYING for jobs.

STEP 3 - Approach the Residency Department to extend the visa so that you are not fined for overstay. And then approach the office of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (the "Directorate") and present the authorization letter from the court along with the documents pertaining to your labour dispute and the subsequent litigation issued by the Ministry of Labour to justify the overstay in the event the visa has expired.

18 Jan 2019, 04:51

Hi,

I really thank you for the clear & quick answer.

My labour card is still active and when I filed the labour dispute application at Tasjeel Center, my ESB was not calculated.

Now after 3 hearings, when the employer did not show up, I recalculated the claim amount with the ESB and put forward to the honourable judge in the 3rd hearing which was yesterday.

In the previous 2 hearings, the judge postponed, giving the reason - "to serve the lawsuit pleading by publication" and it was published in the local newspaper.

Yesterday, the judge postponed to 14/02/2019 giving the reason: to inform the defendants with the amended claim list and also to serve the lawsuit pleading by publication.

Now, before my visa expires which is before 07/02/2019, should I visit the court on the next working day and approach the Secretary of the judge and request to provide me with a certificate stating that I have a labour case pending before the court?

And then follow the STEPS 2 & 3 according to your recommendation. My main concern now is not to sit jobless and instead, start working ASAP.

Also, you have not commented on my family visa issue. Please comment on that.

18 Jan 2019, 10:24

Should I visit the court on the next working day and approach the Secretary of the judge and request to provide me with a certificate stating that I have a labour case pending before the court?

- The answer is YES, but do it at the end of January then go to DNRD so that you use the same after or on the date the visa expires and you get more time. meanwhile, start looking for jobs.

If you cancel your visa first, your dependents’ visa has to be cancelled.

If your visa will expire on (07 February 2019) you need to make an application from the court/DNRD so that you are not deemed as illegal.

While your family has time until August 2019, once it is near to expiry, you follow the same process. That is getting the permission (A MUST), pending the case.

Do not be illegal resident on an expired visa under any circumstance. Apply in advance for the permission from court/DNRD.

Was this content helpful?

Fixed-fee services

2 • View all