Termination and cancellation of an employment visa 

Jafza is authorised to sponsor staff to work for a customer or business in the free zone. Learn more about issuing a visa for employees in Jafza with our guide.

All unused residence permits need to be applied for cancellation when Jafza ceases to sponsor a sponsored employee or when the purpose of such permit is satisfied, whichever is earlier.

Upon the termination or expiry of the employment relationship between a sponsored employee and a Jafza customer, Jafza will no longer act as a sponsor to the employee.

The need to cancel a visa for an employee may arise due to the termination of employment, resignation by the employee, or any other reason deemed fit by the company.

Reason for cancellation

When the work visa of an employee must be cancelled due to a termination of employment, Jafza is to be notified of any disciplinary action taken against a sponsored employee within 10 days of the action being taken. The following information is to be provided to Jafza

1. Name and identification number of the sponsored employee
2. Date of the alleged offence committed by the sponsored employee
3. Nature of the alleged offence committed by the sponsored employee
4. Disciplinary action was taken by the customer
5. General manager’s signature on such notification

Where a business wishes to dismiss an employee for performance, conduct, or disciplinary matters, the customer must carry out the following steps in order to invoke sanctions:

• The employee must be notified of the charge within 30 days of the matter arising
• The employee must be provided with an opportunity to state the employee’s position
• The stated position must be investigated
• All the above should be recorded in the employee’s personal file
• The employee should be notified in writing of the applicable penalty, the reason for the penalty, and the action taken against the employee in the case of repetition or continuity of the issue. The penalty may not be imposed after the lapse of 60 days from the date of the disciplinary finding.

Once the following have been submitted, the business can proceed with the cancellation of the visa for the employee by applying online on Jafza’s online portal. 

Once a business has submitted the Letter of End of Service Entitlement along with the passport copy of the employee, Jafza will proceed to terminate the residence visa of the employee.

Where the business wishes to cancel the visa of an employee on account of resignation, there is no need to inform Jafza and the business may proceed to cancel the visa using the Jafza online portal.

It is the responsibility of the business to ensure that the employee’s residence permit, access pass, and company employment card (CEC) are cancelled within 30 days of the employee’s final day of employment.

Types of cancellation

There are essentially two types of procedures for the cancellation of a visa for an employee.

1. If the employee is in the United Arab Emirates.
   In this situation, the normal process of cancellation will be applicable. However, it is essential to note that the employee for whom the company wants to cancel the visa must ensure that visas of dependents (if any) must be cancelled or put on hold before proceeding.
   
2. If the employee is not in the United Arab Emirates
   This is considered as a case where there is a need to cancel the visa without the presence of the employee. The following situations may be applicable
   
   – If the employee is outside the country for over 6 months – in which case, the company may apply for cancellation immediately. The company will be required to obtain the exit report from the Immigration section of Jafza’s online portal.
   
   – If the visa has expired while the employee is outside the country
   
   – If the employee is outside the country for less than 6 months and more than 2 months – in which case company must approach the Workforce Affairs Department of Jafza to seek approval to cancel a visa.

Need Help?

Businesses at Jafza can always approach the customer service desk or the Visa and Operations Department at Jafza for any help related to employment termination. You can also use the Jafza portal to conduct all activities related to employee termination.