The Federal National Council (FNC), the UAE’s parliamentary body, has decided to increase the length of work permits from two to three years. The choice was made in order to lessen the expense of obtaining work permits. Without a current permit, which is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, it is currently illegal to work in the UAE.
The three-year work permit extension proposed by the FNC Committee on Financial, Economic, and Industrial Affairs was accepted. Other measures, like waiving work permit fees for job changes, were also proposed by the committee.
The FNC also approved a requirement that employees remain with a company for at least a year after the probationary period, though this can be waived with the employer’s permission.
Over 72,000 inspection visits were made across the nation, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization, including investigations into possible instances of fraudulent Emiratisation.
A total of 430 cases were found and forwarded to public prosecutors. 20 companies were reported to the public prosecution in January 2023 for breaking the Emiratisation laws, and the owner and manager of a private company were sentenced to prison for defrauding 296 Nafis participants who were Emiratis.
Companies in the private sector are required by federal law to increase the proportion of Emirati employees. Companies with 50 or more employees had to have at least 2% Emiratis working in skilled positions by the end of the previous year. By June 30 of this year, businesses must increase this to 3%, and by year’s end, it must reach 4%.
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