A Filipino lawyer based in the Middle East said that people are not allowed to work under the new five-year multiple-entry tourist visa of UAE.
Barney Almazar, a Dubai-based lawyer who gives free legal aid monthly at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Philippine Consulate in Dubai, said that the new policy does not guarantee the holder the right to work.
Consequence
“The 5-year visa, just like the existing 30 or 90-day tourist and visit visas, should not be resorted to by those who would like to do freelance jobs. This is illegal and they are putting themselves at risk. Those found working on a tourist visa will be fined AED 50,000 and deported,” he said.
Almazar also warned tourist visa holders who are seeking employment in the UAE, saying they should also take precaution in accepting job offers where the potential employer keeps on delaying the application of their employment visa.
“In most cases, these employers have no bona fide intent of hiring them. Worse, the hopeful employees will not be even paid salaries for the work they have done (while on tourist visas) since the scrupulous employers know that the job applicant will not risk deportation for claiming to have worked illegally on a tourist visa,” he said.
Benefits of the new visa policy
Almazar said that for those who like to visit the UAE for tourism purposes, the new visa scheme will greatly benefit them in terms of convenience, especially Filipinos with families in the country.
“I believe more Filipinos will take this opportunity to visit the UAE on a regular basis to visit their families who live and work in the UAE. This is also practical for Filipinos who have regular connection flights to Europe. Instead of staying just inside the airport, they can go around and explore the country before heading to their final destination,” he said.
He added that it will also benefit those who are regularly traveling the country but are not in the position to apply for residency.
In addition, Almazar added that the new policy will also help amplify the economy of the UAE, particularly in the tourism sector.
“We can expect an increase in economic productivity, consumption to go up and demand for more jobs,” said Almazar.
The UAE has recently announced that it will roll out a new five-year multiple-entry tourist visa for all nationalities, which will allow them to stay either 30 days to as long as 6 months at a time. The move was made to increase tourist arrivals in the country and position itself as the preferred travel destination in the region.
