Issuing a visa for an employee for Jafza companies

Jafza is authorised to sponsor staff to work for a business inside the free zone. Businesses within the free zone wishing to issue visas for their employees are required to first set up their business license and issue their property settlement agreement (PSA) with Jafza.

Once the business set-up process is completed, the company must apply for a computer immigration card (CIC) in order to apply for visas for employees.

Existing businesses set up in Jafza who wish to issue visas for employees must ensure that their property settlement agreement (their lease agreement) is valid and they have a valid computer immigration card.

A company in Jafza may apply for shareholder and/or employee residence visas. The residence permit is valid for three years for both – shareholders and employees. The number of visas that may be applied for by the company depends on their lease agreement and solutions acquired.

• If the company has leased a warehouse or an LIU, the quota applicable for visas depends on the area of the property. Please contact Jafza Visa and Operations team to learn more about the quote for the visas.
• If the company has leased a plot of land, the company must first submit drawings of the facility if the facility is still under construction. If the facility is completed and the company needs to issue new visas, you must contact Jafza Visa and Operations team to learn about your quota requirements. When a plot is leased from Jafza, an initial quota of 20 visas is provided and this limit can be increased after approval.
• If the company has leased office space, the quota is dependent on the size of the office. 
• If the company has leased a workstation, only 2 visas can be applied for per workstation.
• If the company has leased a showroom, the limit of visas allowed is 5 regardless of the size of the facility.

Once the quota information is available, the company may determine if they have the required quota to process a new visa. At this point, it is worth noting that the minimum age at which a UAE residence visa can be obtained is 18 years old.

A company in Jafza wishing to employ staff other than a GCC national as a sponsored employee is required to apply for an entry permit first. For GCC nationals, the company must ask for the Permanent Access Card of the GCC national.

A sponsored employee is only allowed to work within the free zone. However, there may be occasions when a customer requires a sponsored employee to work temporarily outside the free zone on a temporary basis (e.g., installation, repair, or maintenance of specialist equipment), in which case Jafza’s prior approval is required. Obtaining approval or a NOC is possible through Jafza’s online portal.

Documents required to process a visa application.

• Passport Copy of the applicant. Certain nationalities may require additional pages of their passport included in the copy as requested at the time of submission.
• Photograph – with a white background and clear visible features of the applicant. 
• Certain designations will require a University Degree – duly attested by relevant authorities.
• Ongoing requirements and procedures to adhere to COVID-19 protocols require the company to submit a Letter of Undertaking if they wish to issue a visa for an employee who is based outside the United Arab Emirates.
• If the applicant is inside the United Arab Emirates, a copy of their previous visa is required.

Additional documents for Shareholder / partner visa

To issue a visa for a shareholder or a partner;

• The minimum share of the applicant in the company must be AED 50,000
• Submit the Letter of shareholder’s confirmation – which is issued by the Commercial Department of Jafza

Need help?

It is advisable to download the rules and regulations of setting up and operating a company within Jafza. This would allow you to get the most relevant information required to operate your business. You may also consult with the team at Jafza’s Visa and Operations Department for any information you may need regarding issuing visas for your employees.

Additional resources

• Jafza to Offer Long-Term Visa Services to Customers ( https://jafza.ae/news/jafza-to-offer-long-term-visa-services-to-customers/)