Q: Good afternoon Sir/Madam, I have been working in a company for 5 years now. My visa expired 3 years ago. The owner told me many times that he would renew it, but I am tired of his lies. I want to work with another company, but my boss is not willing to give me a cancellation letter. The company has even been closed for almost 6 months now, and he keeps telling us that it will reopen, but we are tired. He is also not willing to pay us for the months we have been sitting at home. What advice can you give me?

Q: Hello, I've been working in the company for the past 18 months, and I have submitted my resignation after receiving a good offer from another employer. My labor card is showing as expired in MOHRE (it seems the PRO didn’t process it properly at the time of visa stamping for the two-year labor card). Meanwhile, my Emirates ID is valid and active. Should I wait for the cancellation paper (even though my labor card is expired) after completing my notice period? Is there any issue for me in getting the cancellation if the employer doesn’t respond?

Q: Hello, If my work visa cannot be canceled due to an unresolved labor complaint against my employer for unjustified deductions and unpaid commissions, is there a way around it? For example, can I transfer sponsorship? How does this process work?

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 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).

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.