Visa cancellation

A reader in Dubai asks: I am new here in the UAE and I have only worked here one month. I was hired with an employment visa and after a week there was a problem in my home country and I needed to go home, I talked to my company and it was agreed that I could go home and I told them that there were no guarantee how many months I had to stay in my country so they decided to cancel my visa. Is there a ban imposed in this case? Can I come back again once the problem has been settled?

I would like to tell the questioner that if his contract is for an unlimited period, on cancellation, the Ministry of Labour will automatically impose a six-month ban.

Therefore, the questioner shall be entitled to come to the country to work again only after the expiration of the ban. But if the said contract is for a limited period, the questioner may have a one-year ban imposed if the employer requests the same from the ministry.

- Questions answered by advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants.