No job ban for expats on relatives’ visa in UAE

The UAE does not impose a work ban on expatriate employees sponsored by their relatives in case they want to shift to another job, according to the ministry of labour.A ministry committee discussed several applications for job transfer and exemption of the six-months and one-year ban for some workers at its weekly open-day meeting on Monday.

One application was submitted by a female pharmacist who wants to be sponsored by her husband after the pharmacy where she had worked shut down, according to Alkhaleej newspaper.

The committee told the applicant she can get a new job after transferring visa to her husband and obtaining clearance from the former employer, the paper said.

“The committee made clear that the labour law allows a woman sponsored by her husband to shift to another job without having a work ban because a ban is not applicable on those who are sponsored by their relatives.”