DUBAI: NEW VISA RULE TO BE IMPLEMENTED

For individuals from the sub-continent (India) and other countries of the world who are seeking for immediate employment in Dubai, you need to be aware that effective end of July 2009, a new visa rule is to be implemented. Thus, you have only limited time (spring and early summer) to find a suitable placement.

It has been predicted that due to this new visa rule, there would be a problem of labour shortages. Workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Philippines and Bangladesh who will come to Dubai on a visit visa will have to pay for a refundable deposit of AED 1,000.00 (USD 272.00) and take out health insurance while they hunt for work.

This new visa rule is intended to regulate the market and make the process of travelling to the UAE simpler because of job hunting which could impair or underwrite the importance of tourism to the country.

On the side of the jobseeker:

If the new visa rule is to be implemented (I am confident it will be), thousands of jobseekers will be greatly affected. Why? Who will spend AED 1,000 + health insurance and try his luck in Dubai under this current crisis? There’s nothing in Dubai but “uncertainties”. The economy is not stable (true also to some cities). Many companies are shutting down. On this issue, how can a jobseeker be sure that when he enters Dubai he can be employed? For me, I will not gamble.


On the side of the employer:

The new visa rule means potential employers and recruitment agencies will have to go abroad to find workers to avoid labour shortages. Employers are never going to pay money up front for people to come and visit, because they don’t know if they are going to take on the person or not. Employers will have to go to the countries concerned to select people and hire them from there.

It will be more costly for employers because they will have to fly in people to start working. There will be less people coming in to look for work because the fee is a lot of money, so companies will chose to recruit from countries of origin.

What might happen is that it might be a quicker recruitment process, because employers and recruiters might carry out interviews over the phone. If employers don’t want to make the decision there and then through a telephone interview and want to do it face-to-face, they will have to fly the person out, pay for their visit visa and their accommodation. So it will probably be more costly for employers.