Special report: Is it legal to hire maids on visit visa in UAE?

Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution when recruiting maids who arrive in the UAE on visit visas.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost for hiring maids through the proper channels has increased by 25 per cent. As a result of the lack of supply and increase in demand, travel agencies have begun bringing maids into the country on tourist visas.

But not only is the method illegal, Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police, said it could pose a security risk for families. It is unsafe to hire strangers who arrive in the country on a tourist visa, as they may commit crimes and flee back to their own countries.

Al Shamsi urged residents to hire maids through the appropriate legal channels to avoid being victims of crimes.

Attractive prices

The main reason why some residents have started hiring maids on visit visas is because the rates are more affordable.

Hiring a maid on a visit visa typically does not cost more than Dh4,000. Some travel agencies bring maids on a visit visa valid for three months and ask them to renew it every three months, a process that costs Dh1,500. The agencies also allow the maids to obtain residence visas through the family they work for or in other ways.

Penalty for bringing maids on visit visas

A top official at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship said the method is illegal because it is not licensed by competent authorities.

The aim of bringing in maids on visit visas is simply to make a profit. Moreover, when practitioners offer services at competitive prices, the income of licensed authorities is affected.

The official stressed that the authority would investigate any report or complaints from the public about travel agencies or people who bring maids on tourist visas. When the information is verified, these offices will be closed and fines will be imposed on the owners.

Promoting maids on social media

Travel agencies set up websites and social media accounts to promote maids and help families find one based on nationality.

A number of women who enter the country on tourist visas also post ads on social media, asking for opportunities to work as maids, nannies and other types of domestic help.

Expensive packages

Eman Khalifa, a housewife, said she was surprised by the expensive packages for recruiting domestic workers from recruitment offices.

The prices increase by 10 per cent if the domestic worker has previous work experience. As a result, she said a number of families have turned to travel agencies to hire maids on visit visas. The total cost of insurance fees and travel tickets usually amounts to Dh3,000. Meanwhile, the cost of recruiting maids from specialised offices usually exceeds Dh18,000 per maid.

Abdulaziz Al Ameri said specialised offices took advantage of the current circumstances related to the pandemic to raise prices by up to 150 per cent. Previously, they offered Dh4,000 for Ethiopian and Ghanaian maids, but it has now increased to Dh9,700.

However, when he was browsing an account on Instagram, he learnt that he could hire a maid on a visit visa for only about Dh5,000. The cheaper price encouraged him to reach out to the account holder and hire two maids.

Salama Saeed Al Kutbbi also said she had brought an Indian domestic worker in this way and had paid Dh4,000 upfront.

She said the owner of the tourism office told her she needed to pay Dh890 for the visa and insurance fees. The maid would then report for duty three days after the transaction was completed. She also had to pay the price of a round trip ticket that cost Dh1,500. But the travel agent explained to her that the return ticket would be cancelled as soon as the maid arrives.

Hiring maids on visit visas is a risk

Mohamed Zain, director of a manpower recruitment office, said unlicensed tourism office owners resort to such activities because they consider it an additional source of income.

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Sara Desouza, director of a manpower supply office in Ajman, said that dealing with tourism offices to bring in maids has several risks. Most notably, the client loses the right to recover the amount they paid if the maid runs away or refuses to work.

“The profits of recruitment offices declined by 70 per cent, as they used to issue at least 40 work visas per month, but now with the presence of these people, this number has decreased and has become no more than 16 visas, especially with the beginning of the pandemic and the activity of tourism offices in bringing women on a visitor visa to work as domestic helpers later," she said.

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi
• Sharjah