Are you looking for a job in the UAE but struggling to get one? Here is something you need to know. To get a new job in the UAE, you need to cancel your old residency visa. But why do you need to cancel your existing visa to apply for a new job? Below are the detailed reasons for this new rule.
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Recent news suggests that Emirates has reissued a compliance question. The question highlights whether “can an employee start a new job while a previous residence visa is still active?” In a reader Q&A published on 24 February 2026, Keren Bobker, National’s workplace columnist, has raised this new question. According to the Federal Decree-Law No (33) of 2021, “the onus is on the former sponsor to cancel both the labour card and the residency permit as soon as employment ends.”
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) usually take a few days to complete the cancellation process. However, several companies delay the paperwork to retain leverage over departing staff or to avoid end-of-service liabilities.
If you need extra help maintaining and understanding these formalities, you can refer to VisaHQ. This platform allows you to visit the UAE visa portal and provides a practical guide for submitting new visa applications and cancelling old ones. The services are also useful for HR teams with deadline pressure and employees leaving the job. Other important notices are mentioned below:
Before your old visa is cancelled, working for a new employer is illegal.
The worker and the new sponsor should pay fines.
In sensitive cases, there can be suspension of the business licence and deportation
An employee stays unprotected under the labour law if a dispute arises
Without a valid work permit, they are “technically working off the records”
If the former sponsor delays things, the worker can file a complaint with MoHRE.
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