UAE Visa Amnesty Offers Employment Opportunities.
People seeking to legalize their stay in the UAE under the new two-month visa amnesty, which began on Sunday, are also being offered job opportunities.
At the Al Awir center in Dubai, private companies were on hand from the first day of the amnesty to assist with job placements and employment visas.
Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, explained to The National that private sector firms had been invited to set up booths and conduct interviews.
“We have invited over 15 companies to interview job seekers. We are committed to working around the clock for the next two months to resolve their issues,” he said. Many individuals had been deceived into coming to the UAE with promises of employment, he noted.
“We want to address the overstay problems directly. Many people were misled by fake recruiters and now face difficulties,” Lt. Gen. Al Marri added. “They cannot return home empty-handed as they have promised their families a better life.”
Hamza Gul, a 25-year-old Pakistani, was the first person on Sunday to have his overstay fines waived and to receive a job offer. Gul will now work as a cleaner for the Transguard Group.
Shahid Mahmmud, a recruiter for Transguard Group, told The National that Gul was offered a job after a brief interview.
“Mr. Gul had lost his previous job and was facing financial hardships. We have taken him to our camp and will soon provide his offer letter and start processing his visa,” Mahmmud said. Gul had initially planned to return to Pakistan but decided to stay in the UAE after hearing about the amnesty.
“We provided him with a job and transported him to our camp in Jebel Ali,” Mahmmud added.
Transguard Group is offering nearly 15,000 jobs and welcomes all applicants at the amnesty center. “We have openings in construction, facility management, and more. We are here to support this initiative,” Mahmmud said.
Mujeeb Rahman, deputy general manager at Hotpack, mentioned that the company is looking to hire both skilled and unskilled workers. “We have ongoing projects and aim to assist those with visa issues,” Rahman said.
“We will conduct basic interviews to assess skills. If we extend a job offer, the candidate will apply for a new work permit and update their status. This is a valuable opportunity for legal residency,” he added.
Azizi Group’s project manager, Adham Hilal, noted that the company has over 5,000 job openings. “We are here to offer employment and help those in need,” Hilal said, specifying that they have roles for qualified individuals in construction, including carpenters, plumbers, and electricians.
Noor Musalam, 28, from Egypt, was among the first to receive an exit permit on Sunday but hopes to return to the UAE for work.
“The officers expedited my exit permit process after I informed them of my return flight tomorrow,” Musalam told The National.
He had arrived in February on a one-month visit visa and struggled to find a job. “The amnesty came at the right time. My fines had exceeded Dh6,000,” he said. “I have applied for a position at a company through the Al Awir center and hope to return to the UAE with a job offer soon.”