Latest Update: UAE’s Decision to Resume Issuance of Work Permits for Pakistan

DUBAI -UAE’s Decision to Resume Issuance of Work Permits for Pakistan and other citizens, which was temporarily halted, has now been resumed by the authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

For several weeks, individuals from Pakistan, India, and various other nations faced a hindrance in processing their work visas as a result of the prerequisite for ‘demographic diversity’.

When the employers submitted their applications for new permits, particularly for individuals from Pakistan, India, and other South Asian nations, a notification appeared requesting them to “promote demographic diversity during the hiring process.” The employers were urged to ensure that the initial 20 percent of the available quotas encompassed a diverse range of candidates.

According to the latest update,UAE’s Decision to Resume Issuance of Work Permits for Pakistan the visas have been processed and the majority of the backlog has been resolved.

Despite travel agents confirming the simplification of visa processing, the cause for this remains uncertain. It is still unclear whether the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has lifted the restrictions or if this relaxation is being granted on a case-by-case basis.

According to a call center agent from MoHRE, companies are now able to apply for visas without any restrictions based on nationality, as reported by Khaleej Times.

Regarding the requirement, the service centers in Dubai have indicated that MoHRE has notified establishments to broaden the range of nationalities when recruiting.

Furthermore, it has been documented that this limitation is connected to the varied demographics of the establishments and is not tied to any particular nationality. This constraint impacted individuals across all employment tiers, ranging from skilled to unskilled positions.

It is widely held that the imposition of this restriction was done in order to prevent companies from becoming excessively dominated by individuals of a specific nationality.

In relation to this matter, exceptions were provided to businesses having fewer than 20 staff members and enterprises operating within free zones.

The resumption of visa processing has brought a sense of relief to the workers in the emirates. Many of them had left their jobs and applied for better positions, but their plans were tarnished due to the suspension in visa processing.