UAE Announces Criteria for Hiring Foreign Workers

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) has outlined seven conditions for private-sector companies and employers to recruit foreign workers.

These conditions were shared in a video on MoHRE’s official Instagram account:

• Electronic permits must be available in the company.
• The recruited worker must be at least 18 years old.
• Compliance with relevant conditions in specialized professions is required.
• The worker’s profession must align with the company’s activity.
• The company must possess a valid license.
• The recruitment request must be submitted by the legally authorized representative of the company, and a work permit must be obtained.
• There should not be an existing work permit for the worker to be recruited.

The ministry offers 12 work permits for registered entities, made for the specific type and nature of the job. Following are the 12 work permits:

• Work permit for recruiting a foreign worker.
• Work permit for transferring a foreign worker between entities.
• Work permit for residents sponsored by a family member.
• Temporary work permit for hiring a worker for a specific project or timeframe.
• One-mission work permit for recruiting foreign workers for temporary jobs or specific projects.
• Part-time work permit for hiring workers under a part-time contract with reduced working hours.
• Juvenile permit for recruiting individuals between 15 and 18 years of age.
• Student training and employment permit for employing 15-year-old students already in the UAE.
• UAE/GCC national permit for employing UAE or GCC nationals.
• Golden visa holder permit for employing workers with the UAE’s Golden Visa.
• National trainee permit for training UAE nationals.
• Freelance permit for self-sponsored foreigners providing services or tasks without a specific employer or employment contract in UAE.