Thousands of jobs available for UAE visa amnesty workers

Recruiters at amnesty centres look to hire people

Faral Ally Hamis, from Tanzania, during the second day of visa amnesty at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai in Al Awir area. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

People wait to be seen at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai.

Officials help direct those waiting during the second day of visa amnesty in Dubai.

Visitors were given free coconut water at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai.

Kashem Samir Hossain, from Bangladesh, during the second day of visa amnesty at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Officials help during the second day of visa amnesty at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai.

Officials deal with the queues at the visa amnesty at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Al Awir, Dubai.

Maj Gen Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of GDRFA, centre, talking to visitors

Officials in the women's section during the visa amnesty

People who have overstayed their residence or visit visas will not be fined

Venus Devera from the Philippines with her 15-month-old daughter Alvia Faith at the General Directorate in Dubai

The two-month initiative is open for people with expired residency and visit visas

Christopher Kyeyunemr, 29, from Uganda, was one of the first people to obtain the exit pass after living illegally for two years

Companies set up their stands to recruit candidates during the visa amnesty

Bachaire Polindao from the Philippines with her 10-month-old daughter Amal Mohamed Mustafa at the amnesty in Dubai

People wait to have their stay in the UAE legalised

People attempting to legalise their stay in the UAE under a two-month visa amnesty that started on Sunday are being offered work as they do so.

At Dubai's Al Awir centre, private companies were present on the first day of the amnesty, looking to hire people and help with employment visas.

Lt Gen Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, told The National that private sector companies had been invited to station booths in the tent and to interview people for jobs.

“We invited more than 15 companies to interview people for jobs. We will not stop around the clock for two months until we settle their problems," he said. Many people had been fraudulently brought to the UAE with the promise of employment, he said.

“We want to be close to these people to solve their overstay problems. I know their problem started when they left their countries with a promise to get a job by fake recruiters," Lt Gen Al Marri said.

"They can’t go back home as they promised their families to get a job and provide a decent life. They can’t go back with [empty] hands.

"We must stand with them and support them. This is the UAE, a country that will take care of them.”

New beginnings

Hamza Gul, 25, from Pakistan, was the first person on Sunday to have his overstay fines waived and receive a job offer. Mr Gul will now work as a cleaner for the Transguard group.

Shahid Mahmmud, a recruiter for the Transguard Group, told The National: “[Mr Gul] lost his previous job and had financial difficulties without a stable place to live. After a quick interview, we offered him a job.

"We have taken him to our camp and will soon hand over his offer letter and begin processing his visa."

Mr Gul, who came to Dubai a year ago, heard about the amnesty and came to Al Awir centre planning to return to Pakistan after having his fines waived.

“He was overstaying in the UAE and had nobody to help. He was terminated from his previous company but he wanted to stay in the UAE,” Mr Mahmmud added.

“We offered him a job and took him to our camp in Jebel Ali in the company’s van.”

Mr Mahmmud said that his company are offering nearly 15,000 jobs and will welcome anybody applying at the amnesty centre.

“We have skilled vacancies in construction, facility management and other jobs. We were invited by GDRFA-Dubai to come and search for candidates. We are here to support the initiative,” Mr Mahmmud said.

Mujeeb Rahman, deputy general manager at Hotpack, told The National that they are planning to recruit skilled and non-skilled workers.

“We have many projects and are looking to support the labourers who stayed illegally or are having visa problems,” Mr Rahman said.

“We would do a basic interview on the spot to check their skills. If we give the job offer then the job seeker will apply for a new work permit immediately and change their status.

“It is good chance for people to stay legally in the country.”

Adham Hilal, project manager at Azizi Group, said they have more than 5,000 jobs available.

“We are here to offer them a job. We are here to help,” Mr Hilal told The National.

“Our jobs are for qualified people in the construction sector such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians and more.”

Future hopes

Noor Musalam, 28, from Egypt, was one of the first people to get an exit permit on Sunday but hopes to return to the UAE for work.

“They told me the exit permit will take 48 hours, but when I told officers that I have a return ticket to my country tomorrow, they helped me to get the exit pass within minutes,” Mr Musalam told The National.

He came in February on a one-month visit visa but has since struggled to find employment.

“I wasn’t lucky, but the amnesty came at the perfect time. Before two months the fines were accumulated to more than Dh6,000," he said.

“I wish to come back to the UAE and I have already applied for a company here at the Al Awir centre. I will go back now and hope they call me with a job offer.”