National IDs required to cancel visas in UAE

Residents applying for the cancellation of their UAE residence visa must surrender their Emirates ID card to immigration authorities, an official said.

The highly-placed official at Dubai’s General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) told Gulf News that visas will not be cancelled unless the ID card is handed over.

The official, who did not want to be named, said: “No residency visa will be cancelled without the ID cards. Cancelling the visa, for the purpose of leaving the country forever or for the purpose of changing jobs, requires [handing over] the ID cards.”

Residents typically apply to have their visa cancelled when leaving the UAE for good or when changing jobs. As a rule, a job change involves a visa change as well.

Rules apply to children

The GDRFA will hand over the returned ID card to the Emirates Identity Authority, which issues the card in the first place, the official added. He said this procedure is required by the issuing authority and applicants who have lost their card must produce a letter from the authority confirming the situation

“Everyone must have his or her ID card with them. Even cancelling the residency visa for a child requires submitting the ID card of that child,” the official said. He added that the rule is in place across the UAE.

Renewals

However, in the case of visa renewals, applicants can retain their card, the official said. “We are not asking for [surrendering of] the ID card in case one is renewing the residency visa.” A valid card must be shown at the time of renewals, though.

The Emirates ID card is required for all UAE nationals and legal residents aged 15 and above. The smart card carries a picture and basic information of the holder, including a computer chip and biometric data.

The Emirates Identity Authority says the card prevents identity theft and allows access to certain government and non-government services. It has repeatedly said that those who fail to register for the card will be fined and possibly barred from a number of government services.

UAE medical licence can be applied for online

Dubai: Health-care professionals, especially outside the UAE, can apply for a medical licence to work in the Emirates through the fully operational online Examination and Evaluation System (EES).

They can appear for the licence exams, conducted on a weekly basis, in their own country and receive results electronically, reducing cost and time. The fees are also paid electronically.

The system by the UAE Ministry of Health obviates the need to visit the ministry’s offices.

Previously, an applicant had to appear for an exam, and if unsuccessful, reappear after the stipulated two months wait.

“The new system allows an applicant to sit for an exam every week in his or her country [the number of attempts or trials to schedule MoH exams is four],” said Dr Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing at the ministry, speaking to Gulf News.

He explained that in the past, applicants had to enter the country and incur expenses.

“Now they can enter the country after they have been evaluated and are ready to seek jobs. The system is centralised and reduces the financial burden on applicants. It also saves them time.”

To facilitate the exams, the ministry has enlisted the help of Prometric Worldwide, a global testing network. “Prometric manages the exams for the ministry around the world,” said Dr Al Amiri.

Apart from licensing, health-care professionals including physicians, technicians, dentists, pharmacists and TCAM (traditional, complementary and alternative medicine) practitioners can also benefit from the system’s online features that allow one to upgrade qualification and experience.

For fee payment, the system mandates the use of the UAE e-dirham card, which was introduced in 2001 to replace traditional methods of fee collection for government services.

The UAE E-Dirham card is a ‘secure electronic purse’ that can be bought in person or online from the ministries of Finance and Interior and/or any member bank like the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai.

Dr Al Amiri said that once an applicant has registered, he or she has to submit the required documents (passport copy, photograph, and certificates, among others), and pay the fee using the UAE e-dirham card.

He explained that the payment is done through the Blue and Red Al Haslah prepaid (customisable) e-dirham cards.

He added the system has been tested by the ministries of health and finance to ensure accuracy.

The Federal National Council (FNC) reviewing draft commercial law that would allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of some companies

Abu Dhabi: The Federal National Council (FNC) will be reviewing on Tuesday a draft commercial companies law that would allow full foreign ownership of certain firms “but within specific conditions,” said Ali Eisa Al Nuaimi, a representative from Ajman.

“Members of the House will debate in a two-day session a draft commercial law that will allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of some companies, within specific conditions,” said Al Nuaimi, a representative from Ajman.

The draft legislation would authorise the Cabinet, on advice from the Minister of Economy, to name companies which would be fully owned by foreigners.

Under UAE law only citizens are allowed full ownership of companies operating outside of free zones. The law currently allows foreigners to own a maximum of 49 per cent of companies registered outside of free zones — and requires foreigners to have an Emirati as a partner or sponsor to conduct business.

Al Nuaimi told Gulf News eligible companies would “have to be within the industries that have certain priorities within the economy, such as aerospace, communications and petrochemicals.”

“These companies should bring added value in terms of providing their expertise to support the UAE’s continued development and growth. They should also hire large numbers of Emiratis, with each offering 100 jobs or more to citizens,” argued Al Nuaimi, also rapporteur of the parliamentary financial committee.

He added the legislation would lay down a framework for the governance of public companies, ensuring transparency and disclosure of financial data as well as the efficiency and integrity of the board of directors.

“The law is meant to improve the business landscape in the UAE and make it easier to do business and potentially boost the economy. It will enforce strict corporate governance standards in accordance with international practices,” Al Nuaimi said.

The draft law, he added, would also open up the jurisdiction for free zone companies wishing to operate in the UAE outside of the free zones.

Al Nuaimi said the committee would suggest making governance rules applicable to all members and chairs of the board, removing particular partnership companies from the draft law and making it obligatory for company founders to return share cash plus interest in the event public joint stock companies are not set up.

The committee also stressed that foreigners may not be allowed to act as agents of foreign companies and that labour shares can only be accepted from acting partners.

Under the draft law, which comprises 12 chapters and 383 articles, the founders of a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) are obliged to subscribe to no less than 30 per cent of the issued capital of a company.

The draft law will not apply to companies excluded by a Cabinet resolution. These include companies wholly owned by federal or local authorities, companies in which the federal or local authority, or any establishment, authority, department or company controlled or held by any of the foregoing (directly or indirectly) holds at least a 25 per cent shareholding and which operates in oil exploration, drilling, refining, manufacturing, marketing or operating in the energy sector in power generation, gas production, or water desalination and distribution.

Members of the House are also set to press for the boosting of domestic tourism and the setting up of a federal drugs watchdog.

Expatriates in UAE get new identity cards from February 2013

Abu Dhabi: Identity cards for expatriate residents in the UAE will be referred to as ‘Resident Identity Cards’ from February 2013 onwards, the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) announced on Wednesday.

According to a sample image provided by the EIDA, the change constitutes the inclusion of the word ‘Resident’ on the top of expatriates’ cards. Until now, all issued cards have simply been labelled as ‘Identity Cards’.

The change has been implemented in line with recommendations of the Federal National Council (FNC) to reconsider the name and design of expatriate identity cards so that they can be distinguishable from those of Emiratis.

In spite of the changes, expatriates residents with valid identity cards need not replace the cards until they expire, the EIDA clarified.

In addition, although there are no changes to Emiratis’ cards at present, the EIDA is considering a design modification to distinguish them from those of expatriates. Other changes being considered include distinguishable identity cards for people with special needs.

The EIDA statement also stressed that identity cards are issued for resident expatriates in order to confirm their legal identity within the UAE population by assigning a unique personal number to each individual.

Without elaborating further, a source from the Ministry of Interior told Gulf News that the changes to expatriates’ identity cards would help enhance security in the country.

The recommendation for distinguishable identity cards was made by an FNC committee in 2008, which was declared as the Year for National Identity. The committee had said that the identity cards should be issued for Emiratis only, and separate cards, such as labour cards, be provided for expatriates.

Identity cards were introduced in the UAE in 2005 to facilitate governmental services and provide necessary demographic information. The deadline to apply for the cards expired for Emiratis in October 2011, whereas the deadlines for expatriates, which were implemented in phases across different emirates, ended in 2012. The cards are now mandatory to obtain most government services in the UAE.

Sri Lanka to raise minimum age for hiring overseas maids to 25

Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera said that the minimum age limit of female migrant domestic aids would be raised from 21 to 25 besides bringing new conditions to the terms of their employment contracts in order to strengthen their rights and ensure safety.

He made this announcement during a memorial service held at a mosque in Colombo for Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan maid who was executed in Saudi Arabia after being convicted for the death of a four month old child in her care.
Earlier the minimum age limit for domestic workers was raised from 18 to 21, he said explaining that no sooner he took over the ministry, the Government’s policy was to reduce migration of house maids for jobs in Middle East, Daily News reported.
Ensuring the safety of migrant domestic workers to Middle East, new terms will be introduced to employment contracts in line with the laws of labor of Sri Lanka as well as receiving countries.

He urged the elders to act responsibly and stop sending their underage children for employment abroad by resorting to falsifying documents and other illegal means.In a recent interview to Daily News, Chairman of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Amal Senalankadikara recalled that his bureau aims to reduce female migrants for overseas domestic aides’ jobs by 80 to 90 percent by 2020.

He had said “We do not approve female going for overseas work as domestic aides. However, we cannot put a full stop to it immediately. Therefore, we have launched a number of programs to upgrade their skills and find gainful employment in specialised vocations”.