Dubai: If you have a housekeeper under your sponsorship and their residence visa renewal is coming up, you might face a fine for late renewal of their work contract, despite the visa being renewed within its required duration.
This is because the expiry date on the visa, which is also mentioned on the Emirates ID, and the helper’s labour card may not always be the same. This leads to late renewal fines on the card.
Why is there a work permit or labour card fine?
With domestic worker recruitment agencies replacing Tadbeer centres this year, sponsors can renew their domestic worker’s visa by visiting an Amer centre in Dubai or Tas’heel centres that can be found across the UAE, according to Moosa Bin Ali Dayani, a public relations officer based in the UAE.
“A domestic worker's visa is usually valid for one or two years, and the work contract is also issued for the same duration. During the renewal process, it is important to make sure that you renew the visa and labour card together to avoid any fines," he said.
A domestic worker's visa is usually valid for one or two years, and the work contract is also issued for the same duration. During the renewal process, it is important to make sure that you renew the visa and labour card together to avoid any fines
But why does the date differ between the labour card and the visa?
According to Adnan Khan, marketing executive at Siddique Haider Corporate Services Provider, the reason sponsors may get a fine is because when applying for a worker’s visa, they have to first apply for a labour card officially known as a work contract with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
"There are situations when a sponsor may apply for the visa a few weeks or even a month after the labour card was issued. So, the date on which the visa is stamped is later than when the work contract was issued,” Khan said.
"In such a situation, when you renew the visa the next year, you might only look at the date on the Emirates ID, which indicates the visa's expiry date. However, the labour card would have already expired earlier. This is when you may need to pay a fine to MOHRE."
There are situations when a sponsor may apply for the visa a few weeks or even a month after the labour card was issued. So, the date on which the visa is stamped is later than when the work contract was issued.
What to do when it is time to renew the visa
The easiest way to check the validity of the work contract or labour card is to visit a registered typing centre in your area of work or residence.
“Normally, it is recommended that if you have a domestic worker on your sponsorship, visit a typing centre at least one month before the date of expiry mentioned on the Emirates ID or visa page. At the typing centre, one of the agents can confirm the date for renewal mentioned on the MOHRE and Immigration systems, giving you a clear idea of how soon you should renew the visa and work permit,” Khan said.
