UAE Plans Changes To Sponsorship Rules For Expat Workers

by Lorys Charalambous, for LawAndTax-News.com, Cyprus

15 July 2005

Speaking on Wednesday, the UAE's Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Dr Khalid Al Khazraji revealed that the region's authorities are planning to introduce changes to the sponsorhip regime, in order to allow expatriate workers to transfer their sponsorship between employers.

Dr Al Khazraji told Gulf News that:

"All expatriate workers will be allowed to transfer their sponsorship but based on certain conditions."

He went on to explain that:

"Under the decision which will take effect soon, professionals with Masters or PhD degrees will be allowed to transfer their sponsorship for (an) unlimited number of times during their employment tenure in the country. They must have a minimum service of one year with the original employer before they can get the sponsorship transferred. The fees involved will be Dh1,500."

"Workers, who hold Bachelors degree or its equivalent will be allowed to transfer their sponsorship only twice during their employment tenure. They must have spent at least two years with the original sponsor. For this category, the transfer will cost Dh3,000."

Labourers with lower qualifications, he added, are "only allowed to transfer their sponsorship once during their employment and only after working with their present employer for at least three years. The fees involved will be Dh5,000."

"In all cases, the approval of the original and the new sponsors remains a requirement for the visa transfer and the fees must be paid by the new employer," Dr Al Khazraji concluded.

Under the new regime, after an expatriate employee has exhausted their transfer allowance, they must leave the country, but may secure another employment visa and re-enter the UAE after one year.

Recommended