The UAE government has asked recruitment companies to ensure diversification of employment when issuing new work permits to avoid work visa rejection.
Some firms have struggled to get work visas for potential employees of particular nationalities in South Asia.
When enterprises, particularly those with a big number of employees of a specific country, apply for additional visas for persons of that nationality, the authorities send them a letter pushing them to "achieve demographic diversity during recruitment."
Allegations of halting the issuance of visas to Indians
It is worth noting that several claims have lately surfaced about the suspension of visa issuance to Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. Visa specialists and agents refute these claims.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation stated that the goal is to achieve demographic diversity inside organizations. When one of Dubai's business services centers approached the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, they were told that the first 20% of available quotas in the institutions should be distributed among different nationalities.
Employing individuals of different nationalities
If a company receives the "achieve diversity" message, they should diversify their staff by employing people of various ethnicities. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation affirmed that this assessment is based on the demographic variety of enterprises and is not restricted to a certain country.
A contact center official from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation verified that firms, regardless of nationality, must meet the 20% diversity criteria. Once this level is met, businesses are allowed to recruit people of any country. The restriction presently applies to mainland enterprises, whereas free zones have had little trouble acquiring labor licenses.
Diversity requirements do not prevent the issuance of a visa
It is worth noting that diversity standards do not restrict visa issuance, but rather encourage firms to retain a diverse staff. He offered an example of an Indian applicant who was allowed for a visa at a diverse organization whereas a comparable application was refused at a company with a large proportion of Indian employees.
Especially in organizations with a large workforce from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This initiative is consistent with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation's 2022 announcement of a three-tier classification system, under which achieving diversity in employment contributes to companies receiving a higher classification and eligibility for discounts on work permits and transportation fees.
