UAE’s population is made up of a large percentage of foreign citizens residing in the Emirates based on employment or residence visas. Federal Law No.6 of 1973 refers to foreign citizens of Dubai as aliens and does not grant them the possibility to change professions according to their own desire; therefore, they are subject to additional criteria when wanting to make a career change. Article 13 in Law No.6 provides for foreign citizens entering Dubai based on a work visa to be subject to a surety.
Our agents in Dubai can provide you with more information about applying for work and residence visas in the UAE.
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What is a surety according to the Dubai legislation?
Even if not specifically defined, the surety is deemed as a guarantee of the accuracy of the information submitted when filing the visa application. The surety is often a person, also known as a sponsor, who can vouch before the authorities and the Government for the foreign citizen coming to the country. The sponsor is also responsible for the foreign citizen’s conduct related to respecting the law.
Sureties depend on the foreign citizen’s purpose. For those coming to Dubai based on a work permit, the employer will act as their surety in relation to the Government. In exchange, the foreign employee will not take employment with another company, while the sponsor will guarantee not to hire another foreigner in their place. The surety is also required to announce the Nationality and Residence Administration about the foreign citizen exiting their service within 3 months of leaving.
How to change sureties in Dubai?
Foreign citizens are allowed to change workplaces in Dubai provided that several steps are followed. These steps depend on whether the foreign employee works for a public or private company in Dubai. As a general rule, the following steps must be followed in order to correctly change sureties in Dubai:
- approval of the first and of the new surety;
- approval of the Nationality and Residence Administration of the application;
- ratification of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
According to the labor legislation in Dubai, employees are subject to different employment classes which are also taken into consideration when changing sureties.
For complete information about obtaining surety in Dubai, do not hesitate to contact our local agents.