Complete Guide on Cancellation of Employment Visa in UAE (updated 2022)

If you have resigned from your work, terminated or found a new job, your existing labour contract and residence visa must be cancelled. Previously, companies allowed transfer of visas; but off late this is rarely done. Hence, you will have to cancel your visa and obtain a new residence visa. You cannot cancel your residence / employment visa on your own . It is the sponsor’s responsibility to cancel your employment visa.

You may have following questions in your mind:

Now a days most of the companies process the cancellation online MOHRE portal through their establishment card. If they do not have an online account companies can approach the cancellation through Tasheel Centres.

The employee is required to sign the cancellation application before submitting to the MOHRE stating he /she has received all his wages and end of service benefits. Once the work permit is cancelled employer should apply for visa cancellation with the GDRFA.

The steps and documents required are very easy.

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What are the Documents Required for employment visa cancellation?

1. Original Passport;
2. Original Emirates ID Card;
3. Signature of employee on cancellation form(Clearance statement for all financial liabilities)

Fees: Visa cancellation fees are approximate AED 110.

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What if my family visa is under my sponsorship while requesting for visa cancellation ?

• The family or domestic visas need to be cancelled first only then can the primary visa be cancelled;
• If you already have approval from another sponsor and do  not wish to cancel your family visas you may transfer all dependents over to your new visa by keeping a deposit of AED 5000 per dependent; Holding family visa is completely at the discretion of the Immigration Department and will only be reviewed if you are changing visas within the same Emirates. A refundable deposit of AED 5000/-must be paid to hold the family visas. This is kept by Immigration Department and refunded when the visa has been reinstated
• You can process the cancellation online through the Amer website for Dubai or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) portal for visas issued by other emirates.

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What if employee is outside of the UAE during the visa cancellation process?

If the person has been outside the country for less than 6 months:

Documents required:

• Original Passport

The original passport must be sent to the company in order to remove from under company’s sponsorship.

If the person has been outside the country for longer than 6 months:

Documents required:

• Copy of Passport
• Copy of Visa

Fees for this kind of cancellation is: approximate AED 300.

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What is the Grace Period you will receive After your UAE visa cancellation process?

UAE visa holders have a certain grace period – depending on the type of visa – to exit the country after their visa expires or is cancelled.

If you have a UAE residence visa, which has been cancelled or has expired, they have a 30-day grace period after visa expiry to either amend their status and get another residence visa or leave the country. Fines do not apply during the grace period

Tourists and visit visa holders have a grace period of 10 days, according to the UAE government’s official website – government.ae

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What are the Overstay fines for UAE visa holders?

If a residence visa holder overstay after the grace period, they will be fined with:

• Dh125 for the first day
• Dh25 for each subsequent day
• Dh50 per day after six months of overstaying
• Dh100 per day after one year of overstaying

If a tourist or a visitor overstays beyond the grace period, he or she will be fined with:

• Dh200 for the first day of overstay
• Dh100 each consecutive day
• Dh100 as service fees.

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How to Apply New Visa (visit/tourist) inside country and Change the visa status after visa cancellation?

Depending on your requirements, you can apply for a short-term or long-term visit visa.

You can expect minor differences in the visa costs depending on each company.

To apply, you can approach a travel and tourism company in the UAE, by providing the following documents:

• Passport copy (the passport should be valid for at least six months)
• Passport sized photograph

The visa is issued within one or two days and the cost can vary depending on the emirate in which you are applying as well as the company.

Under the Ministerial Resolution No. 377 of 2014, holders of all types of visas can modify the status of their entry while staying in the country if they wish to, you will need to pay a Dh550 fee for the ‘change of status’. This is essentially a service which allows individuals to shift to another visa without the need to exit and enter the country.

The following amount includes visa cost, mandatory health insurance and change of status cost:

• Short-term 30-day visit visa – Dh1,050
• Long-term 90-day visit visa – Dh1,350

In case if you get a new job you may apply for employment visa or in case if want to go under your spouse or patent sponsorship your can apply residence visa .

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