Residence visas now only valid for two years

All expatriates in the UAE will have to renew their residence visas and labour permits every two years, instead of the current three, from January 2011.

In a new decision approved by the UAE Cabinet, labour permits of all employees would have to be renewed every two years. Since the residence visas are tagged with the labour permits they too have to be renewed, according to media reports.

In a statement issued to Wam, Humaid Bin Deemas, Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Labour said: “The UAE Cabinet has reduced the validity of labour cards of all categories of people who work in private sector from three years to two years in a bid to regulate the labour market.”

With this move all expatriate workers would now come under one category and have to renew their documents every two years. Hitherto, only drivers, domestic servants and other such categories were given two-year labour permits and visas.

According to Bin Deemas, the decision will help the private sector save Dh678 million annually as ministry records reveal that 70 per cent of labour permits are cancelled before two years.

He said the decision would also give more flexibility to both employers and employees, who can terminate their relationship in two years and not three as it currently stands.
 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.