UAE visa amnesty ends tomorrow: Enforcement campaigns and penalties begin January 1, 2025

Dubai: The UAE’s visa amnesty programme will officially conclude tomorrow. Following the end of this extension, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP), in collaboration with police departments and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), will launch inspection campaigns and enforce measures against violators starting January 1, 2025.

The amnesty programme previously extended the original two-month grace period, initially set from September 1 to October 31, by an additional two months. This allowed over stayers in the UAE an opportunity to rectify their residency status or return to their home countries without incurring fines or penalties.

Once the extension ends, fines for violations will be reinstated and inspection campaigns will focus on ensuring compliance with the UAE's residency and labour regulations.

In August 2024, the UAE government amended its labour law, introducing increased penalties for employing workers illegally.

1. Penalties for illegal employment of workers and minors

Article 60 of the Federal Decree-Law Regarding the Regulation of the Employment Relationship imposes fines of no less than Dh100,000 to Dh1 million on any employer:

• Who employs workers without a proper permit,

• Hires workers or brings them to the country and fails to provide them with a job,

• Misuses work permits, or shuts down a business or suspends its activities without settling workers' rights, in violation of the new decree and its Executive Regulations.

• The same penalties apply to the illegal employment of minors or allowing minors to work in violation of the law by their guardians.

2. Stricter penalties for false Emiratisation

The updated decree also introduces criminal penalties for fake recruitment practices, including false Emiratisation.

Employers who are found guilty of violating the laws or executive regulations governing the labour market by falsely claiming to employ one or more individuals will face fines between Dh100,000 and Dh1 million. This penalty will increase depending on the number of workers involved in the fraudulent employment.

Additionally, the new decree states that criminal proceedings for fictitious employment, including fraudulent Emiratisation, can only be initiated at the request of the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation or their authorised representative.

3. Authority to resolve cases before court rulings

The decree also gives MOHRE the authority to resolve these cases at the employer's request before a court ruling is made. To do so, the employer must pay at least 50 percent of the minimum fine and reimburse the government for any financial incentives received by their fictitious employees.