Students on university sponsorship can legally work part-time in UAE

Dubai: Students on university sponsorship can now legally work part-time upon receiving a permit from the Ministry of Labour under a new decree issued as part of the UAE Labour Law. The new part-time work permit regulation went into effect this year and is aimed at protecting student rights to stop employers exploiting them, said a ministry official.

It was previously illegal for students above the age of 18 on university sponsorship to take up work unless they transferred their sponsorship to their employer, added the official. The new part-time work permit decree was issued along with the teenage work permit that allows those aged 15 to 18 to take up work within stringent guidelines. Nevertheless, before the introduction of the permit some students on university and parental/guardian sponsorship still took up part-time work through temporary promotional jobs that paid cash.

However, university officials believe that the introduction of this new decree will put employers at ease, increasing part-time work opportunities on offer for students."It used to be that previously employers were reluctant to formally approach students or universities about part-time employment because of the legal issues," said Fouad Jasem, Manager of career development services, Middlesex University Dubai. "After the announcement of the new decree the number of employers approaching us has increased significantly."

Jasem added the Middlesex careers department now posts up to three part-time jobs daily as opposed to previous sporadic internship postings. Yet, Career Services officer at the Canadian University of Dubai, Mary Allison, believes the new decree will increase student opportunities for paid internships.

"Previously a lot of companies were willing to pay students for their internships but because they were on the university's visa it became illegal for them to do so," she said.

It would seem the new decree is just in time as Dubai Women's College (DWC) reports unprecedented student interest for part-time work by its nearly 2,500 strong Emirati student body.

"I would say approximately 15 per cent of our students definitely want to take up part-time employment," said Rabiaa Bekhazi, Careers supervisor, DWC. "This is the first year we've seen increasing student demand for part-time jobs; which indicates a level of maturity in their thinking, as work to be something they now expect to move towards."

Although students across the country are eager to earn their keep, Bekhazi believes companies in the UAE may take longer to come to terms with a new concept.

"The student demand is evident but we need a market answer, where companies prepare tailored packages and roles, from an HR perspective, for this character of workers," she said. "A lot of work needs to go into companies preparing to accept part-time student workers as they differ greatly from mature workers."

Even though it is too early to gage employer response, students are no doubt pleased with the introduction of the new decree."It is still going on, those employers that don't pay or lie about their contracts and this might not change, but at least now students are protected by the government," said Sany Jab, a student at the SAE Institute Dubai.

The part-time work permit applies to four categories of persons:

1. Resident workers in full-time employment holding a valid labour card

2. Co-dependent sponsored residents i.e: housewives on their husband's sponsorship

3. Residents aged 18 and above

4. Government employees

Those issued with a part-time work permit are not limited to the number of part-time jobs they can take up.The government can issue a part-time work permit despite the objection of a full-time employer and an individual's residency status if there is a labour case raised at the courts through the labour ministry

60-day work permits for first-time workers in UAE

Ministry of Labour has announced that new workers can now come to the UAE on work permits valid for 60 days, provided they are above 18 years of age and posses a passport valid for more than six months. Most importantly, the rule is applicable only to those who have never worked in the UAE before.Such work permits can be extended six times provided the fee and bank guarantee are paid before each expiry date. Expired work permits will incur a fine of Dh500 for every 10 days from the date of original expiry or the extended expiry date.

And in case of non-payment of fees and bank guarantee within 60 days, the permit will be automatically cancelled.UAE citizens and GCC nationals cannot apply under this permit.

Similarly, companies bringing such workers must possess a valid licence and the person in charge must possess the authority to have an electronic signature.Tasheel centres are authorised to issue such work permits

UAE Ministry of Labour approve requests for temporary work permits without employer’s consent

The Ministry of Labour will approve requests for temporary work permits without the consent of the former employer, as long as the residence visa and labour card of the applicant is valid.The ministry’s latest ruling came in reference to labour cases referred to it by the courts, according to a report in Al Khaleej newspaper.

The Ministry of Labor stated that it has received requests from workers for temporary work permits.

The ministry statement said, “The labourers confirmed in their applications that they are working for a private construction company and the project was stopped due to circumstances involving the company.“So they wanted to work, for a limited time, for another company till the conditions of their original company improved.”

According to the employment contract they were not allowed to work for anywhere else for the term of their contract - two years.However, the ministry granted temporary work permits because the company is not paying them wages on a monthly basis.

The ministry, however, requires that the workers submit documents proving that the current establishment has not paid the wages for two months or more, based on a report of the Office of Protection of Wages, or the Labour Relations department.

UAE Visit visa for immediate family member

Visit visas for immediate family members can be obtained by residents (called sponsors), whose monthly salary is not less than AED 4000 or AED 3000 + accommodation.

Validity of Visa:

Short term visa: 30 days

Long term visa: 90 days

No extensions are permitted beyond this period.

Fees

• Short term visa: AED 620 application fee + typing fees

• Long term visa: AED 1120 application fee+ typing fees

A deposit of AED 1000 to be paid, which can be reimbursed after your relative has left the country.

Documents Required:

• Typed Application form

• A copy of the sponsor’s passport & family member's passport

• 1 photo of the family member (may be required)

• Marriage contract attested from Ministry of Foreign Affairs or UAE Embassy (for sponsoring a wife or husband)

• Attested birth certificates (for sponsoring children)

• Relationship proof attested from the Embassy (in case relationship cannot be proved from family names in sponsor and relative's passport)

• Attested work contract if the sponsor is working in a private company or a salary certificate if working in government.

• Traveller Insurance.

Procedure:

1. Go to any authorized typing office & get application form typed.

2. Go to DNRD & submit along with your documents to Visa Section.

3. Send either original or copy to your relative. If only copy was sent, then deposit original at the airport or the DNATA counter at DNRD. It is advisable to deposit visa giving sufficient time for flight to land.

Dubai Network, a new social media networking website launched

January 21, 2011 -- Dubai Network, a new social media networking website was launched on January 14. It is the brainchild of W3informatics, an IT solutions company based in UAE.http://www.dubainetwork.com/

If you are tired of all the same old networking sites? Then Dubai Network is the best place to have fun and share ideas. The mission of dubainetwork.com is to connect people through a networking forum, where they can share their thoughts, pictures, videos and blogs.

Dubai Network is a social networking site designed to make your life more socialized and active. It helps you to establish relationships, providing the users the environment of face-to-face interaction with pictures and messages. The users can also start a new relation with the people whom they never met through Dubai Network. It is also a network which revives your school friendship or lost contact.

It is always easy in Dubai Network to find people who share your hobbies and interests, look for friendship, romantic relationship or establish new business contacts. You can also discuss the current events and happenings around the world by joining different groups. It is entirely up to you to decide what kind of people you want to get connected with and share your thoughts or joining a particular community depending on your interest.

Dubai Network, being youth-oriented and platform for healthy chat and sharing of thoughts doesn't encourage posting of unlawful, abusive, threatening, defamatory, vulgar, pornographic, profane or indecent information or material of any kind.

Posting or transmitting of any material containing virus or other harmful components is a strict no no in the website. Downloading any file posted by any other user of a Communication facility if you know, or reasonably ought to know, that the file cannot legally be distributed in such manner is also prohibited.Dubai Network from time to time, monitors or reviews the contents of its Communication Facilities.

If you are spontaneous and have a quick finger, then you could grab an opportunity to become a founder member of this fantabulous website.To join Dubai Network, register for free at dubainetwork.com and you can create your own profile right away. http://www.dubainetwork.com/

Dubai Civil Defense Plans to Enhance Emergency Response and Security with the Avaya Flare™ Experience

Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) has become the first government organization in the region planning to deploy the Avaya Flare™ Experience. The Avaya Flare Experience is an industry-first family of next-generation, real-time enterprise video communications and collaboration products and services that delivers unique collaboration capabilities and an intuitive end-user experience across video, voice and text.

On the sidelines of INTERSEC, the largest exhibition and conference for security and safety in the Middle East, officials from Dubai Civil Defense and Avaya announced plans to deploy Avaya Flare desktop devices at its Dubai headquarters and 15 centers across the emirate of Dubai.

As the government department responsible for protecting human lives and property during fires and other emergency situations, the groundbreaking Avaya Flare Experience can provide DCD with a uniquely compelling multi-modal collaboration experience that enhances the efficiency of its security and response systems by increasing communications and collaboration across DCD’s network. Offering quick and easy access to real-time communications and collaboration tools by eliminating the need to use different interfaces, the Avaya Flare Experience coupled with the Avaya Desktop Video Device will allow DCD branch officials to collaborate with headquarters personnel using desktop video, audio, web conferencing and instant messaging.

“In times of emergency, it is critical to reach out to officials closest to ground-zero. Face-to-face interaction enabled by the Avaya Desktop Video Device will enhance control in crisis situations and eliminate unnecessary travel between centers for briefings and other updates. As Dubai Civil Defense modernizes its communications approach to meet the safety and security needs of the Emirate, the deployment of the Avaya Flare Experience is as strategic as it is crucial,” said Major General Rashid Al Matrooshi – Director of General Department of Dubai Civil Defense. “Avaya is the first communications vendor to provide collaboration capabilities that will enhance our emergency response between the headquarters and centers, speed up inter-branch decision making, and drastically reduce our travel and administration costs.”

“With the Avaya Flare Experience, we can enable DCD with a breakthrough collaboration experience which will dramatically expand communications capabilities in times of crisis as well as enabling better and more cost-effective day-to-day communications across different centers. Streamlining these processes will help DCD to respond to emergencies and make faster decisions. This is the true value of the Avaya Flare Experience,” said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, vice president – Emerging Markets, Avaya.

DCD is planning on deploying the Avaya Desktop Video Device, a cost-effective desktop video collaboration endpoint, at the Dubai Civil Defense headquarters in Al Qusais, Dubai and each of its centers allowing heads of each branch to interact with the headquarters. In addition to HD video, it integrates with social media, calendars and email from a single user interface on a multi-touch device.

In addition to seamlessly integrating with DCD’s existing Avaya emergency response systems, the Avaya Flare Experience can consolidate tools such as a desk phone and video endpoint, to enable ad hoc, person-to-person collaboration for DCD officials. Deployment of the Avaya Flare Experience is planned to begin in the first quarter of 2011.

DCD has partnered with Avaya for over two years, relying on Avaya solutions for communications needs and the reliable and cost-effective management of its IP Telephony and notification systems network operations.

UAE Labour Minister issues ordinance in licensing and regulation of private employment agencies

UAE Labour Minister issues ordinance to create mechanisms to reduce certain malpractices that may occur as a result of recruitment operations

A new ordinance on the licensing and regulation of private employment agencies, limited the right of setting up a private employment agency to UAE nationals.

Saqr Gobash, Minister of Labour yesterday issued the ordinance, which also classified the activity of employment agencies into two categories, either the activity of "mediation" between the employer and the employee or the "temporary employment activity", recruiting work force and supplying them to prospective employers.

Besides limiting the right of setting up a private employment agency to UAE nationals, the ordinance also stipulated that every partner and signatory in an employment agency should be Emirati to be eligible for applying for a licence.

The ordinance also set mechanisms to ensure the rights of enterprises that rely in their operations on employment agencies and guarantees the rights of workers during and after the recruitment process.Private recruitment agencies, which are already licensed, have six months to rectify their regulations to suit the new regulations.

Operations

The ordinance included mechanisms to reduce certain malpractices that may occur as a result of recruitment operations, and stipulated a set of guarantees and commitments from the agencies including transparency during the entire process of employment beginning from the phase of recruiting from the worker's country of origin until the operations of the firm in which he will work.

Gobash said the new ordinance provides for enough transparency through giving the worker the opportunity to read his original employment contract which will be accredited in the UAE while he begins the employment.

He emphasised that the new ordinance also regulates the entire process of contractual work beginning from the labour supplying country until the labour receiving country.

The new decision prohibited any agency from importing workers with another agency or individuals inside the UAE or abroad unless that agency is licensed for this work according to the UAE law. The decision also made it clear that the workers of any agency may not work in other agencies.

Returning workers

The employment agency is also responsible according to this ministerial decision of returning workers to their countries on the agencies expense. The agency will also be responsible for any damage to others inflicted through the agencies activities. "We seek, through cooperation with our partners in the labour market, to deepen the reliance on agencies and recruiters to fill the jobs in firms," Gobash said.

Gobash pointed out that this is done to enhance the dependence on licensed private employing agencies to organise the mechanism of recruiting personnel from their original countries to the receiving country.

Rectify procedures

He added that the new decision has been set to rectify some negative procedures that take place in the first stages of the recruitment process at the sender countries side. The decision has also stressed the transparency issue for workers to be aware of the contractual items and provisions in their contract papers.

Gobash added that this decision comes in line with other decisions that have been issued recently aiming at empowerment of emiratisation and organising the labour market.

The decision also comes after a previous decision allowing labourer's transfer which led to an additional flexibility in the labour market, thus binding work owners and labourers in work issues alone.

Guidelines: Set of regulations

• The agency has to present a bank security cheque for Dh1 million to peruse its activities in temporary employment, and Dh300,000 for broker activities.

•None of the partners in the employment agency should have a police record of honour crimes, integrity, human trafficking or any other crimes pointed out in the work relations organising law.

•Those requiring a licence in this field must present a written commitment that none of the partners will be subjected to change unless there is an official and written approval from the ministry.

•Necessity of employing a full team in these agencies who have sufficient experience in this field.

•The agency owner or any of his partners should not be among those who have not paid their workers on frequent occasions, according to the wages protection system.

•The owner and his associates must not be among those who have bogus companies or who have violated labour housing rules.

•The agency owners will also be obliged to apply the UAE regulations and laws regarding the payment of the housing rents, and paying a security sum of Dh2,000 for every recruited worker, in addition to the payment of violation fees referred to in the Cabinet decree No. 27 for 2010, regarding the services offered by the ministry.

•The agency also has to guarantee that the overall number of workers employed by it at any time must be no less than 20 workers, for the time duration defined by the ministry.

The fees for the UAE ID card become the responsibility of the sponsor

Sponsors set to pay for employees' ID cards,ID to be linked to government services from April

Employers in the UAE will have to pay fees for the issuance of national identity cards for their employees when the ID is linked to residence in the country, according to the Emirates Identity Authority (EIA).

The national ID, an ambitious project launched by the UAE to ensure comprehensive data for its people, is expected to be linked to government services from April, two months ahead of the deadline for registration.

“The fees for the issuance of the ID card will automatically become the responsibility of the sponsor once it is linked to residence and after the enforcement of the unified application form,” EIA director general Ali Alkhouri told the semi official Arabic language daily Alittihah.

He said some major private sector firms in the UAE, including Al-Jaber Group, had already agreed to pay ID fees for their employees.

“As from April, government services to the public will be linked to registration and obtaining the ID card…during that period, we will work to link the ID electronically with six government establishments including the ministries of interior, labour, education, health, justice and higher education,” Khouri said.

Speaking at a seminar organized by Alittihad, Khouri urged citizens from the other members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to obtain the national ID card, warning that any delay could block their interests in the UAE.

He revealed plans to re-design ID registration centres with the aim of expanding their handling capacity to ensure all people in the UAE are registered on time.

He said the project would be completed within the first half of 2011, adding that the capacity of some centres would be more than doubled.“For example, the registration lines at Barsha centre in Dubai will be increased from six to 25 in February,” he said.

UAE employee dies outside country entitled to receive Gratuity

UAE employees happen to die outside the country, then their families are entitled to receive financial dues including gratuity. If UAE employees happen to die outside the country, then their families are entitled to receive financial dues including gratuity, according to the Ministry of Labour. Labour card cancellation effective upon receipt of death certificate or lapses automatically after six months

In the weekly session, while addressing labour issues, Khalil Khouri, Director of Work Permits, Labour Ministry, said: "If any person were to die outside the UAE, while being legally employed in the Emirates, then the financial dues of the deceased as per the employment contract should be handed over to the family."

"Similarly, the labour card of the deceased will be cancelled once the death certificate - duly attested by both the embassy of the country where the person died as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - is presented.

Alternatively, the labour card will be automatically cancelled after six months as per labour laws," Khouri was quoted as saying by 'Al Khaleej' newspaper.

Answering a labour transfer query, Khouri said employees can be transferred to another facility, if the company they were working for is closed. But in uch cases, the ministry should be notified of the closure of the company within two months. Following which, the Inspection Department will study the complaint and, if need be, punishment procedures intiated against the owner.

Meanwhile, Khouri rejectd the request of an administrative manager who wanted to transfer to another company on the grounds that he had not completed two years with his current employer and he earned a salary of Dh12,000 as specified under the 'skill level 1 category'.

He added that salaries recorded in employment permits cannot be revised.

Dh12k salary for degree holder’s applies to only Category I firms UAE Labour Ministry

Dh12k salary for degree holder’s part of new company classification policy,UAE Labour Ministry clarifies that amendment applies to only Category I firms under the new system

The UAE Ministry of Labour has clarified that new labour law amendments due to be implemented in July this year are aimed at easier categorisation of companies operating in the country.The new amendments, one of which states degree-holders must be paid a minimum of Dh12,000 per month, however, come as requirements if the company aims to be included under Category I.

A top official at the Ministry of Labour told this website that companies will be classified into three categories [I, II and III], according to skill levels of employees and Emiratisation ratio.

For enterprises to be included under Category I, 20 per cent or more of their total staff must fall under skill levels 1 (degree-holders), 2 (diploma holders) and 3 (unskilled workers).

The salary of employees (both citizens and expatriates) under skill level 1 [holders of Bachelor’s degree or higher] should not be less than Dh12,000, according to the new Labour Ministry resolution.

Salary for diploma holders should not be less than Dh7,000 and for those who fall under skill level 3 should be paid a minimum of Dh5,000 per month.

Minister of Labour Saqr Ghobash said that all establishments should aim to become Category I firms.

Proportion of Emiratis included across the three skill levels should not be less than 15 per cent of total staff strength. It is mandatory for national employees to be registered with one of the public bodies or government funds such as a pension and social security scheme, and avail retirement benefits at the UAE level or at the individual emirate level.

Private sector establishments that make it to the top category can avail several benefits including a waiver in visa deposit fees and bank guarantees, among others. However, if they fail to adhere to the rules, companies will be demoted to the lower categories, said a ministry official.

Category I private sector companies, which do not meet the abovementioned guidelines will be demoted to Category II.

According to Council of Ministers' Decision No 26 of 2010, companies included under Category I will be exempted from paying guarantees on deposits. According to Article V of the Ministerial Resolution, companies listed under Categories II and III must pay bank guarantees.

Category II firms will be further sub-divided into three levels – A, B and C. Firms listed under Category II (A) will be obliged to pay Dh3,000 bank guarantee for each worker, with a maximum of Dh1.5million.

Facilities under Category II (B) will pay a bank guarantee of Dh3,000 for each worker but with a maximum of Dh3m. And companies classified in the Category II (C) will pay bank guarantee of Dh3,000 for each worker with a maximum of Dh5m.

Similarly, establishments under Category III are entitled to pay a bank guarantee of Dh3,000 for each worker with a maximum of Dh10m.

However, the ministry has exempted industrial projects licensed by the Ministry of Economy, as well as companies and institutions under Federal or local government from paying bank guarantees.

Non-profit organisations, cooperative associations, national associations under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs are also exempted from bank guarantee payments.

Similarly, projects approved by the Ministry of Finance need not pay bank guarantee.

No ‘fictitious Emiratisation’

Minister of Labour Saqr Ghobash said once the new categorisation comes in place, it will give establishments an opportunity to enhance their workplace functions and take advantage of the various benefits that await them.

The recommended classification structure has taken into account the current market condition, Emiratisation requirement, salaries and other expenses such as housing etc. whereas the ministry was earlier focusing only on the workplace aspect.

Such requirements are bound to open up more jobs for nationals and will do away with “fictitious Emiratisation”, Ghobash added.Category I should be the aim of all establishments, he said.

Once categorised, no going back

Meanwhile, Humaid bin Dimas, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, was quoted by Al Khaleej newspaper as saying in one of the weekly labour meetings that once the establishments are upgraded to Category I, they cannot reduce salaries of employees. If any such incident comes to light, the company will be downgraded.

Bin Dimas also urged companies to adopt WPS [wages protection system] and transfer salaries to banks. The new amendments also include a two-year validity of labour cards and reduced fee for labour transfer, he added.

One-year ban will be imposed on offenders of labour and residency laws- Ministry of Labour

Workers in the private sector, who have a one-year ban imposed on them by the Labour Ministry for violating labour or residency laws, need to complete the ban before being able to apply for a new job, ministry officials have said.

Officials at the Ministry of Labour's Open Day yesterday said that the one-year ban is different from the six-month ban imposed by the ministry.

The ministry clarified that no automatic six-month ban will be imposed on workers who leave their jobs but a one-year ban will be imposed on offenders of labour and residency laws, including violating labour laws, or breaking an employment contract.

Last month, new rules were issued by the labour ministry allowing a worker to switch jobs after the end of his employment contract without requiring a no-objection certificate to avoid a six-month ban.

Officials have clarified that the new rules have nothing to do with other bans.

During the Open Day, many employers requested the ministry to reduce fines imposed on them citing a lack of awareness.The ministry declined to cancel the one-year ban imposed on four workers Thursday because they did not yet complete the ban period, even if one or two months were left to complete their one-year ban period. According to Aysha Bilharfya, Director of the Department of Labour Office said that there was no exemption on ban issue.

She said the ministry will not remove the ban for any worker before a year from the date of the ban, noting that there were no exceptions in this regard.

She said that the ban imposed on workers who offend the labour law is different from what used to be called "Ministry of labour six-month ban," which is cancelled by the new decisions and allows a worker who is ending his or her work relationship with the current sponsor to obtain a new permit and move to another company.

One year ban will continue - Ministry of Labour UAE

The one-year ban for workers who breach contract terms or who absent themselves from work without a legitimate reason before the end of their fixed-term contract will continue, said Ministry of Labour.

According to a report in 'Al Khaleej', workers violating labour laws will face a year's ban though the new rules state transfer of sponsorships is acceptable.

Khalil Khouri, Director of Work Permits in Abu Dhabi, during the weekly session, was replying to a woman's query, who requested her ban be revoked and wanted to know if she could benefit from the new amendments to labour laws.

She said that the company she was working for closed in September 2009 following the death of her employer. So the licence of the facility was not renewed. After more than a year, she approached the ministry and was found to have violated labour law as workers are supposed to inform the ministry within three months from the closure of any facility. Now, as per the new amendments, the period has been reduced to two months.

Meanwhile, the ministry eased the rule on fines imposed on companies that either delay or do not renew labour cards. Khalil Khouri said: "The fines will be paid by the companies and not workers."

Fines for violations prior to 2005 will incure Dh2,000 for each card and for non-renewal of cards between 2005 and 2010 the fine will be Dh5,000.

Emirates airline offers short term visa for Canadians at just $61

Canadians travelling through Dubai can obtain a short-term visa of four days for $61.5 (Dh225.9), provided they are travelling with Emirates airline.Similarly, Canadian citizens, holding a valid residency in the UAE and wanting to bring their parents and immediate relatives on a visit, can do so by booking tickets on Emirates airlines.

The visa charges are now $74.5 (Dh273.6) for a 30-day visa extendable by another 30 days.A 90-day visa only for parents or in-laws travelling by Emirates is available for for Dh1155.

“The facility is only available to passengers of Emirates airline irrespective of the nationality,” said an Emirates official at the Dnata office on Sheikh Zayed Road.

"Canadian travellers can now apply for and purchase UAE visas online via www.emirates.com. All ticketed Emirates customers, regardless of whether their ticket was purchased via a travel agent, online via www.emirates.com, or directly from an Emirates call centre or retail shop, may log-in to ‘Manage a Booking’ on www.emirates.com and access the application tool. Both 96 hour and 30 day visas are available and these will be issued via email within 3-4 working days," said a statement isued by Emirates airline.

Canada, until recently, was among more than 30 countries whose citizens could travel to the UAE on a free one-month visa.

But the UAE authorities recently amended the rules whereby Canadians will now have to pay $1,000 for a six-month multiple entry visa and the maximum stay is 14 days per visit. A three-month visa will go for $500. A 30-day visa will cost $250.

In October last year the UAE had given a 30 day deadline for the Canadian military personnel to leave the Camp Mirage base outside Dubai.

The irony is that the diplomatic standoff between Canada and the UAE centres around airspace and the nations carriers. Now it is the Emirates route that seems best for Canadians.

Earlier Story: Canadians to pay $998 for UAE visa

Canadian citizens travelling to the UAE will need to budget a little extra time and money when planning their trips.The UAE Embassy in Canada has announced it will charge Canadian nationals up to C$1,000 (US$998) for entry visas to the Gulf country from January 2 onwards.

The UAE Embassy in Ottawa has posted the new rates on its website, including a short-term (30 days), non-renewable visa that will cost C$250 ($249), a long-term (3 months) non-renewable visa for C$500 ($499), and a six-month multiple-entry visa for C$1,000 ($998), which allows for a maximum stay in the UAE of 14 days per visit.

While Canada was earlier among the list of 30-plus countries whose nationals do not require a visa to travel to the UAE - including the US, Germany, Japan and France - travellers will now need to apply for the visa about three weeks prior to flying.

The complete visa application needs to be sent to the UAE Embassy 15 working days before the departure date, according to the new requirements. The amount paid "is non-refundable in case of a visa refusal," the embassy said, adding that visa requirements may change in the future.

The new fees come into effect January 2.The decision for Canadian nationals to require visas to enter the UAE was announced in November.

UAE Ministry of Labour written off Fines on unrenewed labour cards

The Ministry of Labour has written off around Dh1 billion in fines accumulated over 10 years on non-renewal of labour cards in the private sector, a top ministry official said.

Humaid Bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Executive Director at the Labour Ministry, said it has decided to implement the Cabinet decision aimed at reducing fines accumulated on labour cards not renewed between 2000 and December 31, 2010.

Written off

The ministry has written off 80 per cent of the total amount of fines, owed by 28,500 companies, which has reached Dh1.25 billion.

He added that the ministry had decided to calculate a fine of Dh2,000 on each labour card that expired before May 31, 2005. Al Suwaidi said there are 30,000 such cards and the fines originally assessed on them is around Dh1.1 billion.

The ministry will impose a fine of Dh5,000 on each labour card expired between May 31, 2005 and December 31, 2010.With 17,000 cards having expired in this period, the ministry had assessed total fines at Dh150 million.

Al Suwaidi said that "the decision is aimed at encouraging companies in private sector to legalise their status," adding that the move integrates the new decision with the previous decision announced by the ministry to reduce the transfer fees to ensure that companies don't employ staff illegally because of high fees or fines

UAE Labour ministry reduced employment fee for companies

Employment fee for facilities under Category A has been reduced from Dh11,000 to Dh300 a year. Transfer fee for companies under Category B, which earlier paid Dh11,500 for three years has been reduced to Dh1,500 for two years. Firms under Category C, which shelled out Dh12,000 now need to pay just Dh2,000 for two years.

The ministry cancelled all fees for employment of nationals in the private sector to boost emiratisation. Similarly, fees for recruitment of GCC nationals have also been lifted.

The ministry stressed the need for all workers to have a valid labour card and valid residency visa with the relevant signatures of the authorities. Even those unregistered until now, including government workers, students, children below 18 years, and spouses of citizens

UAE retirement age increased from 60 to 65

New norm part of the labour rules revision to help expatriates who otherwise retire at 60

Expatriates in the UAE have been given an additional five years of service with the Ministry of Labour revising the retirement age from 60 to 65.

Part of the widespread changes in the country's labour law will allow expats to secure visas up to the age of 65 years, Arabian Business reported quoting an unnamed official of the ministry.

“The retirement age before was 60, now it’s 65. They raised the retirement age [under the new legislation,” the official told the website.

The ministry had last week announced the decision to reduce the validity of labour cards to two years from three, starting from January 1, 2011. This practically gives expat workers the freedom to switch jobs without a no-ojection certificate (NoC) from the employer.

The previous law had ensured workers get a six-month ban forcing them to leave the country if their employers refuse the NoC.

The UAE Ministry of Labour divided establishments in to Three Groups- Resolution effective from January 2011

The UAE Ministry of Labour has divided establishments in groups based on the extent of their compliance with labour legislations, systems and standards, cultural diversity approach and on-time payment of salaries, provision of accommodation, and emiratisation quota.

The changes were made by Minister of Labour Saqr Gobash who issued resolution number 1187 of 2010 on regulations and criteria of classification of firms in implementation of the cabinet resolution number 26 of 2010 which was issued on August 11, 2010. Article 10 called for introducing practical and real mechanisms for voluntary Emiratisation.

Gobash said his ministry is keen to create a balanced working environment that stimulates economic growth and facilitates the process of productivity through a sound management of skilled human capital. "Our ethical and legal mandate requires us to strive to explore and roll out mechanisms that embody the sincere commitment of the political leadership to put in place a safe and stable environment and to protect rights of all categories in the communit," he said.

The new system replaces the current cultural diversity-focused classification which has been implemented since 2005.

"The new classification system was designed after consultation with prominent local labour market experts and embraced best practices from experiences of international community and neighboring countries," the minister added.

"While the old system revolved primarily on the cultural diversity mix in firms, the new one allows the firm to move higher on the classification scale giving them slew of rewards based on their commitment to certain standards like emiratisation, wages and housing," he indicated.

He said the new resolution divides companies into three main categories: The first group which tops the scale; The second which includes the current three categories A,B and C and the third one which along with the first are the newcomers.

The resolution ranks the firms if they meet the following conditions:

1. The percentage of workforce should not be less than 20 from the professional levels (1-2-3) of the total manpower.

2. The wage of a worker should not be less than Dh12,000 if he is in level 1, Dh7,000 in 2 and Dh5,000 in 3.

3. Emiratisation percentage should not be under 15 in these levels.

The creation of this first group aims at opening up new professional jobs for Emaratis and avoid 'mock' emiratisation," he said.

For the second group, the resolution arranged firms as A,B and C according to cross-cultural policy. A company is in Group A if it does not commit itself to this policy by at least 25 per cent. A non-compliance of 25 to 50 will place the company in Group B and C if the percentage crosses the 50 mark.

The resolution grants firms until the January 1, 2011 to correct their status.The minister added the resolution introduced a black point and penalty system against offenders which can downgrade firms to a lower group and drop black points after one year.

As for the third group, the resolution indicated that a firm in the second group which accumulates 100 black points will be downgraded to the third group. A company can be placed in this group if it is convicted by a court for recruiting infiltrators, commits trafficking in persons, provides wrong information regarding wages protection system and fails to observe emiratisation policy. Financial fines on any of these irregularities can range between Dh15.000-20,000.

The Ministry of Labour UAE announced minimum wage limit for different categories of workers

The Ministry of Labour on Saturday announced a minimum wage limit for different categories of workers, depending on their qualifications.According to new labour laws, employees under skilled class level 1 (those with a Bachelor's degree) should earn a minimum Dh12,000 a month.Diploma holders, who come under skilled class level II, should earn not less than Dh7,000 and workers who have passed high school should be paid a minimum salary of Dh5,000.

The ministry urged strict implementation of Wage Protection System (WPS) and called on companies to adhere to the salary structure according to the amended classification.With a focus on emiratisation, the ministry has amended a few labour laws that stipulate establishments hire employees under three categories.

According to the new amendment, nationals should not be less than 15 per cent of the total staff of any company.

Similarly, the skilled class (inclusive of three levels) should not be less than 20 per cent of the total employee strength of any company.The ministry has also classified establishments according to the type of employees they hire.

Depending on the percentage of diversity among staff, companies now fall under three categories (first and second and third), and category II includes three levels (a, b and c).

A facility will fall under level (a) if the diversity among employees is at least 25 per cent; under level (b) if diversity among workers is between 25-50 per cent; and under level (c) if the diversity is 50 per cent or more.

A company can be upgraded to second level irrespective of the diversity provided the skilled class is not less than 20 per cent of total workforce. Similarly, companies can be downgraded if they violate labour laws, clarified Labour Ministry.