Did you know that the majority of the UAE’s population consists of foreigners? The local citizens (Emiratis) make up around 15 % of the UAE’s population. It tells us that the UAE is quite popular as a place to immigrate, work and live a comfortable life for many globally. Since its revolutionary transformation in the 1900s, the city has become UAE’s icon for its unfaltering vision for development. The number of expatriates is steadily increasing as more people arrive at this destination seeking a comfortable and prosperous life.

Hence, understanding the work visa protocols is crucial for those wishing to live and work in the UAE. These procedures are stringent, and personal details and profiles should be kept up-to-date in visa and travel records, even if there are minor changes. It also applies to individuals who have changed their profession while working in Dubai. Let’s understand this aspect of how to change profession in the UAE visa in depth in this post.

Why should you change your professional status on the UAE visa?

The professional visa status has to be kept updated so that employers can track the loyalty of the employees. Most firms in Dubai have contacts of 2-3 years in place to ensure employees stick around and work with them for a consistent period of time. It also helps in retaining the expenses accrued on employee visa applications and other legal protocols. Hence, if a person has resigned, a professional visa status reveals whether he or she has kept up the level of consistency required by their previous employer before joining the new one.

It is also vital to change the visa status when the visa holder has worked for a long time and has advanced through the ranks of the company through promotions. In such situations, the designation of the individual has been promoted, but the same does not reflect on the professional visa automatically. One has to manually change this. If the job title on the visa is not the same as the current work profile, then the next opportunity that the visa holder gets for a job may not match the current work experience. It will be highly influenced by the profession stated in visa status which can create hurdles for growth in the career. Because the visa holder hasn’t changed the professional status and it still portrays as a low-level employee, he or she might not succeed in landing the desired position in the new company or earn the level of salary the designation should be receiving. A change in professional status in a visa keeps the government informed and also allows the visa holder to advance in their career.

The professional status on the UAE visa can also lead to problems with other legal matters, such as the eligibility to get a bank loan or even entry into other GCC nations. Discrepancies in the job title on the visa and the current position the visa holder has in a company can cause problems on business trips to other GCC countries, where he or she may be denied entry due to the difference in job positions.

How to change profession in UAE visa?

A UAE work visa typically is a visa that needs sponsorship from a UAE resident. In the case of employees, it is the employer who arranges for the UAE visa and other paperwork, IDs for the individual who wishes to join the company. So, when you apply for a Dubai work visa, the visa also reflects the profession for which you are coming to Dubai and will be working in. If you are living in Dubai and want to change jobs, the professional status on your visa matters and has a big impact on whether you get the job you want. For the same, you need to undergo a simple process of profession change in Dubai Visa. You can do this online via The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) website or through any AMER centre. If you are applying through gdrfa.gov.ae, then follow these steps.

• Go to gdrfa.gov.ae and login. You can use your UAE Pass Account for logging in.
• Next, go to the ‘Residency Service’ tab, and then click on ‘Data Amendment for Residency Visa’.
• You will find a ‘Start Service’ tab; click on it and fill out all of the information requested.
• Attach all the supporting documents needed and then pay the fee. This completes your professional status change application.

If you are submitting an application through AMER Centre, you have to visit in person at the nearest AMER Service Centre.

• Choose the service you need, and follow the steps as told to you.
• Submit the required documents and pay the fee.
• You will then get a reference number for your submission. You will be instructed by a representative to return the sponsor’s Emirati ID.
• Later, you will receive a digital approval notification, after which you must go to GDRFA to obtain a new visa sticker for your passport.
• The verification process takes about 3 to 5 working days to complete and then the GDRFA needs a few more days to validate your new professional status on the visa.

The following documents must be presented for a visa profession change:

• A valid passport with a valid work visa
• Original Emirates ID of the sponsor
• Bachelors’ certificate from University for Managers, Assistant Managers, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Financial employees, and Engineers.
• New Labour Card Number
• One colour photograph of the applicant against a white background
• Company Bank Account IBAN number
• Copy of Company License
• Copy of Immigration Card
• Any other supporting documents as proof requested by the authorities.

Make sure that all of the documents you upload for this service are in order and under 2MB in size.

Points to Remember

• You must work in your initial position for a minimum of six months in order to start changing your professional status on a UAE visa. Even after that, if you are changing your profession frequently, the same will not be entertained and modified in your visa. There should be a minimum 6-month gap between each change in employment or profession.
• An employee who works on the mainland must get in touch with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) to get his professional records in order in case of a career change or position promotion. An individual working in a UAE free zone can approach the free zone authority to find out what steps need to be taken to change the profession status of the visa.
• When you submit your application, you must provide a valid UAE contact number, which will be used to notify you of your visa status.
• The profession change in Dubai visa fee is usually AED 260 per case.
• If you are changing a profession or a job in the UAE, then you must inform your employer that you will not be renewing your visa with them. This is crucial because the visa is sponsored by the employing company in the UAE.

Now that you have a gist of how important professional status on a UAE visa is, you should be attentive about the same and make sure that you keep it updated as and when you plan to change your job or when you get promoted in the UAE. This will ensure that you advance quickly up the career ladder, grow, and enjoy the life you have always desired in the UAE.