Bedouin
8th Mar 2006, 09:33
For those who have not read the Gulf News Today Employment Ban lifted good luck to all
New UAE job-switch rule 'in place for weeks'
By Diaa Hadid, Staff Reporter
Dubai: The labour ministry is allowing expatriates to change jobs without waiting six months before issuing another labour permit, provided several conditions are met and transaction fees are paid, senior officials confirmed.
All expatriates who have worked for their sponsor for at least a year, who have cancelled their labour card and residence permit without any bans, and have not signed a no-competition agreement, may apply for a new labour permit after paying transaction fees, said Ahmad Kajour, undersecretary of planning at the ministry. Such expats do not have to wait six months.
The fee for the 'internal labour permit (status correction)' transaction varies from Dh1,500 to Dh9,000. Other top officials confirmed the new transaction but said they were waiting for Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Labour Minister, to announce it.
Earlier, expatriates had to wait six months after cancelling their labour permit for the Labour Ministry to issue a new one, unless they had an NOC from their sponsor.
Ministry officials said the new transaction allowing workers to change jobs in less than six months without their former sponsor's permission has been in place for weeks, but the minister has not yet announced it.
The transaction allows expatriates, who have worked for their sponsor for at least a year, who have cancelled their labour card and residency permit without any bans, and have not signed a no-competition agreement, to apply for a new labour permit after paying all transaction fees. They do not have to wait six months.
Ahmad Kajour, undersecretary for planning at the Labour Ministry, said "hundreds [of] 'internal labour permits'" had already been issued.
He said the new transaction was introduced to stop sponsors from exploiting the Ministry's six-month wait on issuing a new labour permit to prevent workers, who have fulfilled all contractual obligations, from changing jobs.
"Sponsors rely on the Ministry not to issue another labour permit for six months. We take the blame for sponsors being vindictive," said Kajour.
He said sponsors should only ban workers who had not fulfilled contractual obligations or had broken the law. "Otherwise people should be able to move on."
He said it was an automatic process. "As long as people fulfil the conditions and pay the transaction fees they can do it."
No objection certificate
Gulf News asked if the new transaction meant expatriate workers no longer had to obtain their current sponsors' permission through a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to move to a new sponsor. The undersecretary said the two matters were not related.
"When somebody cancels their labour permit and residency visa, their legal relationship to their sponsor has ended, unless there is a ban. The Labour Ministry's six-month waiting period is our prerogative. We don't want to apply it where a person has not violated any law."
Kajour said expatriate workers had to have worked for one year "to be fair."
"This is a balancing act. For companies to bring a worker in is not cheap, and we don't want workers to think they can now job-hop at their sponsor's expense. On the other hand, one year is enough to work."
Previously, expatriates had to wait six months after cancelling their labour permit before applying for another unless they had obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their sponsor.
The six-month wait was mandatory, and automatic. Workers could appeal to the Ministry to allow them to transfer sponsors without their current sponsor's permission, in some cases.
The new 'internal labour permit' transaction allows expatriates, unable to obtain a NOC to resign, pay transaction fees and obtain another labour permit in less than six months.
The conditions to change jobs:
Labour permit and residence visa cancelled, without ban
Worker has not signed a no-competition agreement
Worker has been with company for at least one year
Apply for a new labour permit
Pay transaction fees
Categories: Transaction charges
PhD or MA holder moves to a company in category A: Dh1,500; category B: Dh2,500; category C: Dh3,500.
BA holder or equivalent moves to a company in category A: Dh3,000; category B: Dh3,500; category C: Dh4,000.
All others moving to a company in category A: Dh5,000; category B: Dh5,500; category C: Dh6,000.
If expatriate has not completed three years in the same company, an extra Dh3,000 is charged.
New UAE job-switch rule 'in place for weeks'
By Diaa Hadid, Staff Reporter
Dubai: The labour ministry is allowing expatriates to change jobs without waiting six months before issuing another labour permit, provided several conditions are met and transaction fees are paid, senior officials confirmed.
All expatriates who have worked for their sponsor for at least a year, who have cancelled their labour card and residence permit without any bans, and have not signed a no-competition agreement, may apply for a new labour permit after paying transaction fees, said Ahmad Kajour, undersecretary of planning at the ministry. Such expats do not have to wait six months.
The fee for the 'internal labour permit (status correction)' transaction varies from Dh1,500 to Dh9,000. Other top officials confirmed the new transaction but said they were waiting for Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Labour Minister, to announce it.
Earlier, expatriates had to wait six months after cancelling their labour permit for the Labour Ministry to issue a new one, unless they had an NOC from their sponsor.
Ministry officials said the new transaction allowing workers to change jobs in less than six months without their former sponsor's permission has been in place for weeks, but the minister has not yet announced it.
The transaction allows expatriates, who have worked for their sponsor for at least a year, who have cancelled their labour card and residency permit without any bans, and have not signed a no-competition agreement, to apply for a new labour permit after paying all transaction fees. They do not have to wait six months.
Ahmad Kajour, undersecretary for planning at the Labour Ministry, said "hundreds [of] 'internal labour permits'" had already been issued.
He said the new transaction was introduced to stop sponsors from exploiting the Ministry's six-month wait on issuing a new labour permit to prevent workers, who have fulfilled all contractual obligations, from changing jobs.
"Sponsors rely on the Ministry not to issue another labour permit for six months. We take the blame for sponsors being vindictive," said Kajour.
He said sponsors should only ban workers who had not fulfilled contractual obligations or had broken the law. "Otherwise people should be able to move on."
He said it was an automatic process. "As long as people fulfil the conditions and pay the transaction fees they can do it."
No objection certificate
Gulf News asked if the new transaction meant expatriate workers no longer had to obtain their current sponsors' permission through a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to move to a new sponsor. The undersecretary said the two matters were not related.
"When somebody cancels their labour permit and residency visa, their legal relationship to their sponsor has ended, unless there is a ban. The Labour Ministry's six-month waiting period is our prerogative. We don't want to apply it where a person has not violated any law."
Kajour said expatriate workers had to have worked for one year "to be fair."
"This is a balancing act. For companies to bring a worker in is not cheap, and we don't want workers to think they can now job-hop at their sponsor's expense. On the other hand, one year is enough to work."
Previously, expatriates had to wait six months after cancelling their labour permit before applying for another unless they had obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their sponsor.
The six-month wait was mandatory, and automatic. Workers could appeal to the Ministry to allow them to transfer sponsors without their current sponsor's permission, in some cases.
The new 'internal labour permit' transaction allows expatriates, unable to obtain a NOC to resign, pay transaction fees and obtain another labour permit in less than six months.
The conditions to change jobs:
Labour permit and residence visa cancelled, without ban
Worker has not signed a no-competition agreement
Worker has been with company for at least one year
Apply for a new labour permit
Pay transaction fees
Categories: Transaction charges
PhD or MA holder moves to a company in category A: Dh1,500; category B: Dh2,500; category C: Dh3,500.
BA holder or equivalent moves to a company in category A: Dh3,000; category B: Dh3,500; category C: Dh4,000.
All others moving to a company in category A: Dh5,000; category B: Dh5,500; category C: Dh6,000.
If expatriate has not completed three years in the same company, an extra Dh3,000 is charged.