Lost your job in Dubai? GDRFA chief warns against overstaying

Dubai: The head of Dubai’s immigration authority has issued a reminder to residents: do not overstay your visa after losing your job.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, said individuals must strictly follow immigration laws, even during periods of employment uncertainty.

“If you follow the rules, no one will question you why you didn’t renew your residency visa. Nobody will come and ask you why you are overstaying,” he told reporters.

His statement comes amid growing efforts by authorities to tighten enforcement of visa and residency regulations and ensure residents comply with the stipulated grace periods following job loss or visa cancellation. On Tuesday, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) announced that it had apprehended more than 32,000 individuals for violating the Foreign Entry and Residency Law between January and the end of June 2025.

“You say: ‘I lost my job here and I’m trying for another one.’ Okay, you try, but when you lose your job, there is a system.”
He clarified that once someone loses their job, they must exit the country and search for a new job from abroad before returning to the UAE.

“You don’t have to do something against the rule,” Al Marri said.
“If you follow the rule, all of us will be happy.”