Workers on visit visas 'disturb labour market'

Dubai: The increasing number of workers on visit visas is disturbing the labour market, a senior Labour Ministry official said.

More than half the cleaning and security companies in the country employ people on visit visas, a Labour Ministry official told Gulf News on conditions of anonymity yesterday.

"The danger in this rapidly spreading trend is that it disturbs the labour market and thus is it important to eliminate it," said Humaid Bin Deemas, Assistant Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Labour.

He said people who work under such circumstances are not only violating the law, but also are subject to exploitation as they have no rights.

According to the law, people on visit visas are not allowed to work in the country before they acquire a work permit from the Ministry of Labour. Workers who are caught violating the law are deported.

Many of these workers buy a visit visa for Dh2,000 to Dh3,000 and find a job on arrival. Others just work until their visa runs out, and others decide to stay on as they have paid a lot to come to the country.

The Ministry of Labour does not accept complaints from these people as they are considered illegal and they are referred to the Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).

However, companies that are caught employing people on a visit visa are penalised. All transactions are stopped until they clear the violations.

Companies that provide services in hospitals and schools are reportedly the main culprits.

Rashid Bakhit Al Jumairi, Deputy Head of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department and Member of the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs in Dubai (PCLAD), said the problem is widespread.

DNRD carries out regular inspections to limit this problem and in cases where it is proved people have been working in the country while on a visit visa are referred to court.

"The problem has lead to an increase in crime level and begging. As a member of PCLAD I hear many cases where the employers do not pay salaries to these people as they know that they are not protected by the law as they are illegal," said Al Jumairi.

A Lebanese receptionist at a clinic worked on a visit visa for more than a year as the company could not issue a work permit due to problems with the ministry. She said it was a stressful time.

"I was always scared that I might be caught. Every time there was an inspection I had to pretend that I was a patient. I would not do it again especially that it is the responsibility of the company to issue work permit, so why take the risk," she said.

It's not the workers' fault. Most people who are under visit visa want to acquire permit to work, however it happens that these scrupulous companies are promising them sponsorship and then use their visa. When the visit visa expires later, it's either they will terminate the employee or ask that person to exit the country and leave them outside the UAE, like in Kish. The government should track down the companies not the people. These workers are hoping for better compensation, yet are being victimized by these opportunists. They are the ones who are aggravated in any other way. Punish the companies who use these poor people's visit visas.
Lachrosa
Dubai,UAE

Nobody wants to work on a visit visa but the problem lies in the company. Some companies are not giving visa's to their employees. Some companies use their employee's visit visa to escape visa transfer fees.
Catherine
Dubai,UAE

If the law clearly states visit visa holders not allowed to work, why not enforce it strictly by cancelling the license of companies that employ such people, a small fine is no big deal because they gain more by employing visit visa holders. Companies violate laws when the punishment is not severe. I am sure there are many companies who have been running their operations by regularly employing visit visa holders, because they can exploit them in various ways and do not have to pay a penny.
Brandon
Dubai,UAE

Most companies hire people on visit visa and exploit them. Companies are thinking that they save on manpower sourcing but at the end, they are at the loss.
Tony
Dubai,UAE

The Labor Department should inspect companies, specially those who have problems in getting work permits. It's a normal practice of many companies, they ask their new employee to join on visit visa as they need services urgently, and fire the employee as they achieve their objective.
Arshad
Dubai,UAE

I faced this problem several times. The company that employs people on visit does not want to take risks by employing unproffessional people. Therefore they take them on trial basis. Which is risky for the employee. His visit visa runs out and he ends up with loss of job and money. It would have been better for both sides if on getting an offer from the company the person on visit visa is given a temporary work permit.
Omar
Dubai,UAE

This is not a new phenomenon. Even most of the companies prefer visit visa people because visa transfers here is much more expensive than changing visit visa to employment.
Rajesh
Dubai,UAE

Restricting the number of days of a visit visa from 60 to 30 and without further renewal may solve this surplus unwanted labour supply.
Kabeer
Dubai,UAE

A strict action must be taken against people working on visit visa and a person must go to his or her home country for 2nd visa change.
Muhammad
Dubai,UAE

Yes I agree with this. A lot of companies hire visit visas especially as relief for those who are taking their annual leaves.
Chen
Dubai,UAE

I am working here for almost two years and yet my company did not issue me a health card. Some of my friends have their health card but the agency did not renew it so everytime we have a medical problem we had to pay on our own pocket the hospital bill.
Marthy
Abu Dhabi,UAE

It's unfair to focus on cleaning and security companies only. I am sure there are lots of big companies in Dubai whose secretaries and office assistants are on visit visa. I would like to suggest that the authorities make a thorough check on big companies.
Maria
Dubai,UAE