Hi,

Just a quick one. I've recently been offered a job. The employer wants me to stay on my residence visa while on a 3 month probation. He wont offer any kind of work permit/visa till then. Is what he's doing allowed?

My visa situation is that I'm currently being sponsored by my spouse.

I'm guessing but I assume it won't be a problem as long as you have the permission of your sponsor, i.e. your spouse.

I'm sure you're right, but at my kid's school, they are often advertising vacancies and asking for applicants that are under the husband's or father's sponsorship? That's why I assumed it was OK if permission were granted?

I don't think that is quite correct, or at least wasn't about a year go (rules might have changed since I last checked) - a female may work for a 3rd party if her husband provides her with written authority (and the 3rd party would need to obtain for her a labour card, if I recall correctly). We nearly employed last year an expat woman, resident in the UAE with her husband, and our HR offered her 2 options - becoming fully employed by us, on her own visa, or remaining on her husband's. There is one advantage (for the employee) of the latter - if she leaves, we cannot visa-ban her. There are also disadvantages - eg I don't think we needed to provide her all the allowances and benefits. So it is normally in the employees advantage to get their own visa unless they have doubts about whether they will stick in the job and wish to minimise the risk of a visa ban.

Editing to add: the short term visa is called a mission visa, and can be obtained for 3 months, extendible for a further 3 months. If you leave the country in that period it gets cancelled automatically. We use them often to bring in expats from outside the UAE to support a short term bit of work.

Your employer must obtain a labour card for you from outset. This is no more than AED 500 so they are being a total cheapskate - as well as breaking the law - by not doing so. Not only is the employer liable for a fine, you are too if the law if not followed and the authorities find out.

If your visa included the phrase "not permitted to work" you have to provide a letter of authority from your spouse.

Thanks for all your responses. I have liaised with my employer and he will sort out a labour card for me as soon as my visa has been processed which should be done by early next week.

I'll check the visa if it contains the phrase 'not permitted to work' when it comes through.