31 October 2018; Dubai UAE:  New employment residence permit applicants in select professions must now attend an awareness session on labour regulations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before their employment contract is approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). 

 

This new requirement is in line with the opening of a number of ‘Tawjeeh’ service centres, designated by the MOHRE to offer guidance on rights and responsibilities of employers and employees prior to any contractual engagement. The process, however, does not apply to workers sponsored by companies in free zones. 

 

 

The awareness training involves a 1.5-hour classroom session with an informative video on UAE employment regulations, displayed in 16 different languages. Upon completing the training, attendees will be issued their labour contract and a mobile phone SIM card. The latter is meant to facilitate communication between the worker and the MOHRE. The training must be attended in person, at any of the 37 Tawjeeh service centres across the UAE and triggers a fee of AED 203. No prior booking is currently required. 

 

 

Effective October 2018, only new employment residence permit applicants in professional levels three, four and five of a new Emirati Vocational Classification scheme must attend the awareness session before obtaining their labour contract. It is expected that applicants in other professional levels will gradually be subject to the new process, including those in higher professional levels as well as those renewing their employment contracts.   

 

 

The new Emirati Vocational Classification scheme is a list of 725 occupations (the previous system comprised of 3000 professions) that are now used in the recruitment of workers in the private sector. It was rolled out in September 2018, affecting the employees in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain; it appears that the system is now applicable in all seven emirates. 

 

The new scheme comprises of nine professional levels (those currently affected by the new process are highlighted in red ink): 

 

	Categories of occupations	Number of designations
Professional level
Level 1	Managerial positions, e.g.: Project Manager	83
Level 2	Professionals, e.g.: Accountant	183
Level 3	Technicians and associate professionals, e.g.: Purchasing Representative	114
Level 4	Clerical support workers, e.g.: Secretary	37
Level 5	Services and sales workers, e.g.: Cashier	63
Level 6	Skilled agricultural and fishery workers, e.g.: Horticulturist	16
Level 7	Crafts and related trade workers, e.g.: House Builder	111
Level 8	Plant and machine operators, e.g.: Drill Operator	63
Level 9	Elementary occupations, e.g.: Domestic Worker	55

What this means for employers and foreign nationals 

 

Employers in the mainland must account for extra time necessary to obtain a new employment residence permit by applicants in select designations, due to a new step in the process (currently in levels three, four and five), as well as the additional cost associated with the awareness session and the issuance of the labour contract. 

 

Foreign nationals must ensure that they are available to attend the training session as soon as possible in order to avoid delays in their immigration process.