Dubai: The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has made it extremely easy for business owners to manage the permits of their employees, by providing online services to employers in the private sector. One such service offered by the Ministry is the cancellation of work permits for workers who may have resigned or been let go of.
In an official social media post, MOHRE provided details on the process that needs to be followed for the work permit to be cancelled. The process can be completed either through MOHRE’s website – mohre.gov.ae – or the MOHRE mobile application – ‘MOHRE’, which is available for Apple and Android devices.
How to cancel an employee's work permit through the MOHRE app:
If you are a business owner, you will need to set up an 'employer' account with MOHRE to complete processes related to the organisation. To set up your company account, visit mohre.gov.ae and log in as an ‘employer’. To set up your account, you will need to provide certain details of your organisation, like your trade licence number and details of your establishment card.
Once you have logged in to your account on the app, follow these steps:
- Click on 'Electronic Work Permit Cancellation' under the 'Direct Services' category.
- Then, click on the 'Apply for this service' button.
- Once you have accessed the service, you can view your establishment (company) details, which show the number of employees in the company, as well as details of each employee.
- Select the employee whose work permit you need to cancel.
- Next, enter the employee's passport and residency details.
- Then, choose the reason for cancellation.
- The employee would then be required to provide their ‘electronic signature’, which can be done on the app directly, and submit the request.
According to the MOHRE app, once the application is approved by MOHRE, the work permit is cancelled temporarily, and the information is sent electronically to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) of the Emirate. The employer must then visit the GDRFA office or one of its service centres to cancel the employee’s visa if the employee was on the sponsorship of the company.
After MOHRE receives all related information from GDRFA of the visa cancellation, the work permit is permanently cancelled.
Can an employee cancel their work permit?
While normally the process for work permit cancelation is the responsibility of an employer, according to a new ministerial decree issued by MOHRE, even employees can request to cancel their work permits under special circumstances. According to the decree, a worker can request for his or her work permit to be cancelled without the employer's consent in cases such as when an establishment is not properly registered with the Ministry or if the Ministry cannot reach the employer within five working days from the date a labour complaint being filed by an employee on the employer’s failure to cancel the work permit.
For a detailed look at what the resolution says about the cancellation of work permits, click here.
