How to apply for a UAE work visa in 2023?

Why UAE Work Visa?

Here are the best reasons to decide to work in the UAE and apply for a UAE work visa:

• A majority of job seekers in the UAE are attracted by benefits like high salaries and the best compensation among world countries. In 2023, salaries could increase in the country by an average of 4.4 percent. Here are the increases expected in 2023 in various sectors:
  • Financial services – 5 percent
  • Legal services – 4.9 percent
  • Technology – 3 percent
  • Human Resources – 2 percent
• The UAE offers long-term job security is a major factor for professionals to decide to work in the UAE on a work visa.
• The UAE is the Arab world’s second-largest economy. It maintains and improves this position by:
  • Strengthening its business environment
  • Increasing its direct foreign investment
  • Introducing new visas to attract more foreign workers
  • Incentivizing companies to invest, run, and expand their operations, generating more employment opportunities
• Friendly company culture and corporate social responsibility are other significant factors for skilled people to choose to work in the UAE on a work visa.

Job opportunities in UAE

In 2023, hiring in the UAE is expected to happen significantly high in three sectors namely:

• Investment
• Real estate
• Banking

Here’s a look at other industrial sectors that are hiring in high numbers:

IT and E-commerce

The UAE is turning into a technology hotspot. There’s innovation expected in various IT sectors. More and more tech startups are coming up in the UAE.

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Cyber Security Analyst
• Cloud Engineer
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Software Developer
• Programmer

The major skills required in this sector are:

• User interface Design
• Web development
• JavaScript
• Responsive web design

Medical and Healthcare services

Professions like doctors and nurses continue to be significant in the UAE. These are highly in-demand jobs in the UAE.

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Doctor
• General Practitioner
• Clinical Pharmacist
• Medical Consultant
• Registered Nurse
• Nurse

PR, Marketing, and Advertising

Hiring is on a high trend in this sector owing to:

• New work permits created for foreign freelancers
• An increase of 200 percent in jobs related to digital content creation

To grab an opportunity to work in this industry in the UAE, you must have the following skills:

• Social media marketing
• Creative writing
• Video production
• Blogging

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Content Coordinator
• Blogger
• Marketing/Digital Marketing Specialists

HR and Recruitment

Organizations and companies in the UAE need HR professionals to manage their workforce and improve recruitment activities, hiring the best workers.

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• HR Managers
• Talent Acquisition Specialists

Finance and Accounting

Companies in the UAE are looking for expert professionals in finance and accounting to achieve cost efficiency as well as financial targets. The desired skills from professionals in this sector include expertise in:

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Trading
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Modeling
• Portfolio Management

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Corporate Finance Manager

Education

The UAE needs skilled and qualified teachers. Their demand is increasing in the country, especially in Dubai. To work as a teacher in the UAE, you will have to qualify for a teaching license. Experience counts a lot in your opportunity to work as a teacher in the UAE.

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Curriculum Developer
• Career Counselor
• Language Teacher
• High School Teacher
• Translator

Engineering

There are a lot of areas where the role of engineers is significant in the UAE. These include petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, electronics engineering, aeronautical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Here are the occupations in this sector for which hiring is high in the UAE:

• Marine Engineer
• Biomedical Engineer
• Materials Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Audio Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Mechatronics Engineer

Benefits of working in UAE Let’s see what benefits you can get by working in the UAE.

• In the UAE, you can get the advantage of a tax-free income.
• By virtue of the presence of international companies in the UAE, you can gain experience in international projects.
• There are several employee benefits statutorily granted by the Government of UAE. They include the following:
  • Employees are entitled to health insurance provided by their employers in the country.
  • Though there are no minimum wages stipulated for expats, the pay scales are good depending on your education and skill level.
  • The UAE has a great overtime policy. Working on Fridays, which are statutory holidays, will be compensated with a 50 percent raise in pay or a compensatory day off.
  • Women employees in the UAE are entitled to maternity leave of 60 days during pregnancy. They will be paid in full for these days.
  • A paternity leave of 5 days is also granted to men who can take it either consecutively or non-consecutively. These leaves must be taken within six months of childbirth.
• The UAE offers a safe work environment along with the opportunity to work with people from various cultures and countries.
• It’s easier for international workers to work in the UAE as English is widely used in work environments.

Types of UAE work permits

Work permits in the UAE come in various types. Each serves the specific purpose of a certain category of employees working in the UAE.

The Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratizations (MoHRE) issues 12 types of permits for foreign workers to get be employed in the UAE. Employers in the UAE who are registered with the MoHRE can recruit employees, based on the nature of the job role offered.

Here are the types of work permits issued in the UAE by MoHRE:

• A work permit for the recruitment of a worker from outside the UAE
• A temporary work permit for hiring a foreign worker to complete a job within a period of time specified
• A juvenile permit for the recruitment of a juvenile aged from 15 to 18
• A Golden visa holder permit for the employment of a foreign worker holding the Golden Residence visa issued in the UAE
• A work permit for the transfer of a foreign worker between establishments
• One-mission work permit for the recruitment of a worker from outside the UAE for the completion of a temporary job, or a specific project running for a certain period
• A student training and employment permit for the employment of a student aged 15 who's already living in the UAE
• A national trainee permit for the training of a UAE national
• A work permit for a UAE resident arriving on family sponsorship
• A part-time work permit for the recruitment of foreign workers under a part-time contract wherein their working hours/days are less than their full-time work contract
• UAE/GCC national permit to employ a UAE/GCC national
• A freelance permit that’s issued to foreigners in the UAE who are self-sponsored, and provide services or do tasks for companies or individuals (without sponsorship from a specific employer in the UAE and without a contract for employment created).

Eligibility criteria for Work Visa in UAE

If you are one who meets the following basic eligibility criteria, you can proceed to apply for a work visa in the UAE:

• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must be a graduate in case you are joining a skilled job. In other cases, you may need a trade qualification required of an unskilled worker.
• You must have a work experience of 2 to 3 or more years.
• You must receive a job offer from an employer in the UAE who has a valid business license.
• You must meet all medical requirements to arrive in the UAE.

There are three levels of eligibility for foreign workers to work in the UAE. They are:

• Level 1: These are foreigners with at least a Bachelor’s degree. Those who come under this level of categorization are qualified professionals like engineers, teachers, doctors, marketing professionals, accountants, and pharmacists among others.
• Level 2: These are foreigners who have done their diplomas in a professional field. Those in technical and mechanical jobs are included in this level of eligibility categorization.
• Level 3: Foreigners with a high school diploma and experience working in roles like administration employee, tour guide, or supervisor, among others.

Requirements for UAE Work Visa

The following documents have to be submitted in order to apply for a UAE residence visa:

• A valid passport and its photocopy
• An Emirates ID card
• Passport-sized photos
• The results of a medical screening
• An entry permit from the Ministry of Labor
• A copy of the hiring company’s commercial license
• A copy of a company card from the UAE employer

You may lodge an application for a work permit once you obtain a residence visa. To get a work permit, you must submit all the aforementioned documents along with an application form for a work permit. The form has to be completed in Arabic.

Steps to apply for UAE Work Visa

To get a UAE work permit, you have to go through three steps. They are:

• get an employment entry visa
• get an Emirates ID card (a Resident Identity Card)
• Obtain a residence visa and UAE work permit

The first step is to get an employment entry visa for the UAE. It’s also known as the pink visa. To get this visa, the employer in the UAE offering you the job must lodge an application for the approval of the visa quota on your behalf. This approval is granted by the MOL (Ministry of Labor).

Your employer in the UAE will then submit a contract of employment, signed by you, to the MOL. Before the issuance of the employment entry visa, the MOL will approve the work permit application.

Once the visa application is approved, you must join employment and enter the UAE within two months. Once you have arrived in the UAE with a pink visa, you must next obtain a residence visa as well as a UAE work permit within 60 days of your arrival.

In order to lodge an application for a residence visa, you must collect and submit every document required listed above. The validity of a residence visa to do work on contract in the UAE is up to two years. If you want to, you can apply for renewal in time. Your work permit will get taken to list as part of the residency visa.

After you work permit gets the approval you can begin working in the UAE officially.

How can Y-Axis assist you to work in UAE?

For the best overseas job search and visa services of world standards to live and work in UAE, visit Y-Axis. Professionals wanting to work in the UAE can seek our valuable services namely:

• Expert assistance to apply for a work visa in the UAE.
• Career counseling with expert advice.
• Immigration consultancy to show you the right path to immigrate risk-free and hassle-free.
• Expert coaching services for language proficiency tests like IELTS, CELPIP, and PTE when you need it most.

If you are looking for expert immigration advice and overseas job assistance, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the UAE.

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