UAE visa amnesty: Thousands of jobs on offer as companies host spot interviews for illegal expats

Several companies have set up spot interviews at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) tent in Al Awir to support the UAE's ongoing amnesty program.

These companies are offering thousands of job opportunities to expats who have overstayed their visas, providing them with a second chance to build their lives in the UAE, after regularising their status.

Jobs across various sectors

Transguard Group, one of the leading manpower providers in the UAE, has taken the initiative. “We are among the first companies to participate in this national mission,” said Rabie Atieh, CEO of Transguard Group. “We are committed to hiring as many semi-skilled workers as possible across various industries during the next two months of the amnesty period.”

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“As we are catering our services to nearly every industry with manpower from construction to cleaning, we are open to hiring thousands of semi-skilled workers in the UAE,” said Atieh. “We are proud to be the first company to participate in this initiative. It’s not just recruitment for us but a national mission to support authorities in this effort.”

Atieh highlighted the importance of offering these opportunities to people who have faced challenging circumstances while living in the UAE. “We will be the happiest if we are able to help people who were staying in our country to continue to stay here. We know they have gone through some hard times, and we are very eager to open doors for them and welcome them back. The UAE is a second home to the whole world,” said the Emirati national.

Transguard Group has already made a significant impact, hiring the first person at the GDRFA tent. “We will be present here for the next two months, actively seeking out talent to fill our workforce requirements,” added Atieh.

Relive the Dubai dream

Sobha Constructions, a real estate developer in the UAE, is another major player participating in the amnesty program. Zameer Fareed, head of talent acquisition for Sobha Constructions, highlighted the company's need for a large workforce to meet the demands of their ongoing projects.

“We have more than 18 projects, and we need more than 18,000 to 20,000 people with a combination of both skilled and unskilled workers, and executive jobs,” said Fareed. “Today we are here to get some readily available talent.”

Fareed commended the UAE government’s initiative, noting that it benefits both the authorities and employers by providing employees with clean records. “The intent is to participate in the government’s effort. The authorities here are doing a massive exercise, which helps the government, employers, and the people here. We are getting employees with a clean record, and it’s an opportunity for people to relive their Dubai dream,” he said.

Sobha Constructions has streamlined their hiring process, ensuring that qualified candidates receive a letter of intent during the interview. “Within five working days, their visas will be processed, and they can begin working the following week,” said Fareed, mentioning that the company would provide food, accommodation, and other necessary support to the new hires.

Require skilled, unskilled workforce

Hotpack, a manufacturer of packaging materials in the UAE, has also joined the initiative, offering a range of job opportunities across its factories. Mujeeb Rahman, deputy general manager of operations at Hotpack, said that the company is seeking both skilled and unskilled workers to fill various positions.

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