MoHRE warns UAE jobseekers of fake job offers and visa scams

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has discussed aligning the start dates of employment contracts and residency permits as part of its “Zero Bureaucracy” program, which seeks to streamline procedures, enhance service efficiency, and better meet customer needs.

 During a recent session of the Customer Council, MoHRE also explored ways to improve its Business Package Services, aimed at simplifying and accelerating procedures for managing employees in private-sector companies. This is facilitated through the “Work Package” platform, a comprehensive digital system designed to ease and simplify HR and business management processes for private enterprises across the UAE.

The session was attended by Khalil Al Khoori, Undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs, Mohammed Saqr Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services, and nearly 100 stakeholders from various sectors.

23 councils, 2,400 participants in the first half of 2025

MoHRE’s Customer Council holds monthly sessions, each dedicated to enhancing one of the ministry’s key services. In the first half of 2025, the ministry organized 23 sessions—both in-person and virtual—with around 2,400 participants.

Since the initiative’s launch in 2022, MoHRE has conducted 140 sessions, engaging over 23,000 stakeholders to discuss challenges and propose solutions for continuous service improvement.

The ministry emphasized that these councils are central to its strategy of building a robust, user-centered service ecosystem, leveraging customer feedback to drive ongoing development. It is also enhancing the “Customer Voice” system to track, govern, and address feedback efficiently through multiple, user-friendly communication channels.

MoHRE noted that Customer Councils are a cornerstone of its efforts to strengthen engagement, satisfaction, and participation—in line with the UAE Government’s vision for proactive, human-centered public services and the Zero Bureaucracy agenda.

Digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence

The councils play a pivotal role in sustaining the ministry’s success in public service innovation—particularly in adopting digital transformation and artificial intelligence across all service delivery stages. The goal is to transform services into proactive and direct digital experiences, centered on customer needs, and to reinforce the UAE’s position as one of the best countries in the world to live and work.

The platform enables participants to voice opinions, share ideas, and suggest improvements, fostering a sense of ownership and partnership in government service development. Discussions have also covered key topics such as the Domestic Workers Law, the Voluntary Savings Scheme, and procedures related to renewing or modifying family residence permits and Golden Visas.

MoHRE warns against fraudulent job offers and fake visas

The ministry also issued a strong warning against falling victim to fraudulent recruitment scams, emphasizing that some criminal groups target jobseekers with fake job offers, contracts, or residency documents in exchange for money.

MoHRE urged individuals to verify the authenticity of any job offer before taking action. It stressed that any legitimate offer must be issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and accompanied by an official work entry permit.

The ministry warned:

“If someone offers you a job in the UAE, ensure the offer comes through MoHRE and that you receive an entry permit for employment. A tourist or visit visa does not grant you the right to work in the UAE. Working while on a visit or tourist visa could expose you to fines and legal action.”

Guidelines to avoid scams

MoHRE shared several key tips to avoid falling victim to fraud:

1. Ensure any job offer comes from MoHRE and is signed by the authorized manager.

2. Use the MoHRE website to verify the job offer number under Application Status Inquiry.

3. After signing the job offer, the employer should send an electronic work entry permit to facilitate your entry into the UAE.

4. Remember: Tourist or visit entry permits do not allow employment in the UAE.

5. Employers are legally responsible for all recruitment-related costs.

6. Verify that the company exists by searching for its name in the National Economic Register.

7. For inquiries, contact MoHRE via +971 6 802 7666, ask@mohre.gove.ae, or the live chat service.

8. For visas issued from Dubai, verification can be done through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) website.

9. For other emirates, use the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) eChannels platform.

10. Tourist entry permits are issued only by licensed airlines (Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia), hotels, or registered travel agencies.

11. Always confirm official visa and entry permit fees before payment.

12. Seek assistance through the Amer live chat service (for Dubai visas) or ICP’s eChannels live chat (for other emirates).

13. Residency visas cannot be completed while outside the UAE—the applicant must enter the country with a valid work entry permit. 

Through its Customer Councils and continuous public awareness efforts, MoHRE reaffirms its commitment to customer-centric governance, safeguarding jobseekers, and advancing the UAE’s global leadership in efficient, transparent, and innovative public services.