The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) released an extensive public advisory on 25 October 2025 warning prospective employees of a new wave of fake job-offer and visa-processing scams. The ministry stressed that every legitimate offer of employment in the UAE must (1) originate from MoHRE’s own electronic job-offer system and (2) be followed by an official work-entry permit issued through MoHRE or the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for Dubai or the Federal Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) for the other emirates.
MoHRE noted that fraudsters increasingly impersonate licensed recruitment agencies, airlines and hotel chains, demanding “processing fees” for tourist or visit visas that they falsely present as work visas. The advisory reminds job-seekers that UAE labour law obliges the employer—not the worker—to bear all recruitment costs; any request for an upfront payment is therefore illegal.
To help candidates verify documents, the ministry recommended three digital tools: (a) MoHRE’s Application Status Inquiry for job-offer numbers, (b) the GDRFA visa-validity checker for Dubai and (c) ICP’s e-Channels portal for the other emirates. It also urged applicants to confirm an employer’s commercial registration on the National Economic Register before sharing personal data.
For companies, the guidance highlights reputational and legal risks of engaging unlicensed brokers. Employers found facilitating illegal work on tourist or visit visas face heavy fines and potential suspension of their corporate immigration accounts. Multinational HR teams are therefore advised to audit their hiring supply chains and brief third-party recruiters on the mandatory MoHRE process.
Practically, inbound assignees should keep screenshots of their digital offer letters and enter the UAE only after receiving an electronic entry permit. Compliance teams should update onboarding checklists to include MoHRE offer verification, while mobility managers can use the advisory’s checklist to educate candidates and reduce fall-through caused by misinformation.
MoHRE noted that fraudsters increasingly impersonate licensed recruitment agencies, airlines and hotel chains, demanding “processing fees” for tourist or visit visas that they falsely present as work visas. The advisory reminds job-seekers that UAE labour law obliges the employer—not the worker—to bear all recruitment costs; any request for an upfront payment is therefore illegal.
To help candidates verify documents, the ministry recommended three digital tools: (a) MoHRE’s Application Status Inquiry for job-offer numbers, (b) the GDRFA visa-validity checker for Dubai and (c) ICP’s e-Channels portal for the other emirates. It also urged applicants to confirm an employer’s commercial registration on the National Economic Register before sharing personal data.
For companies, the guidance highlights reputational and legal risks of engaging unlicensed brokers. Employers found facilitating illegal work on tourist or visit visas face heavy fines and potential suspension of their corporate immigration accounts. Multinational HR teams are therefore advised to audit their hiring supply chains and brief third-party recruiters on the mandatory MoHRE process.
Practically, inbound assignees should keep screenshots of their digital offer letters and enter the UAE only after receiving an electronic entry permit. Compliance teams should update onboarding checklists to include MoHRE offer verification, while mobility managers can use the advisory’s checklist to educate candidates and reduce fall-through caused by misinformation.
