Employees start moving to UAE after new agreement to fast-track visas

Deel had inked partnership with the government to offer relocation support

Sahim Salim

Published: Tue 5 Jul 2022, 11:37 AM

A San Francisco-based startup has begun onboarding employees to the emirates after signing an agreement with the UAE government to fast-track the issuance of employment residencies, including the long-term Golden Visas.

The first-of-its-kind collaboration streamlines the processing times to apply, qualify and relocate employees to the UAE. As reported by Khaleej Times last week, the partnership between the UAE's Office for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Deel will ensure faster access to Golden and Green Visas.

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“Through our Employer of Record (EOR) model, we offer clients end-to-end remote hiring solutions, eliminating the need for third parties … Companies can now compliantly hire, pay, and manage an international team using one hub, in a 100 per cent automated way,” Tarek Salam, UAE lead and head of Mena Expansion at Deel, told Khaleej Times.

Deel, a payroll and onboarding company, had earlier said that the agreement will ensure “faster employment visas for tech workers and streamlined residencies”.

“Deel acts as the intermediary between an employee and the company they are working for and helps businesses of all sizes hire full-time employees across the globe in just a few minutes,” said Salam.

This is done using the EOR model, which allows an employer to hire full-time employees efficiently and compliantly, without the need to set up a local entity.

“We have over 90 of our own local entities around the world, and more are being added every week. Together, our network of local entities and partners unlocks over 150 countries that businesses can hire in.”

How it works

Once the candidate is ready to join the team, Deel’s EOR will hire the employee on behalf of the company. “We generate the necessary employment contract and take care of the onboarding and verification process. The companies just need to set up payment details and prepare for the new employee’s first day,” added Salam.

The two visa categories the company’s customers will have faster access to include the Golden and Green Visas. UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residency granted to highly skilled workers and professionals. It is a 10-year self-sponsored residency with automatic renewal, no maximum number of support service labourers, residence for family members including spouse and children, and no nullification of visa for any duration of stay outside the UAE.

The UAE Green Visa consists of various flexible arrangements, including a one-year self-sponsored remote work residence and a five-year self-sponsored freelancer residence for the self-employed.

The collaboration is initially focused on attracting talent within the world of tech, such as engineers, in line with the recent National Programme for Coders initiative.

“(Having said this) … any global company, across any industry, that has an ambition to relocate employees from abroad or build remote teams in the UAE can access this service,” Salam added.

Remote working in the UAE

He highlighted how the UAE stands out as one of the top countries for expats. “In fact, recent research has revealed the UAE’s excellent infrastructure, successful strategy to handle the pandemic, and the recent introduction of visa and labour reforms, have contributed to making it one of the most sought-after destinations to live in.

“Remote working opportunities have been highlighted as key to the UAE’s long-term vision to attract global talent to live, work and retire in the country, which will ultimately contribute towards accelerating economic growth. Deel is committed to supporting the UAE realise its vision and bolster its position as a prime destination through streamlining the remote hiring process, attracting the best talent and high-growth companies to the market.”

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