UAE announces Work Permits for Students

Students in UAE can now work “legally” or train for work in the private sector by obtaining work permits will be able to obtain work permits, according to a new decree announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The new decree allows students aged between 12 and 18 years to obtain a work for training purposes, while 15- to 18-year-old can apply for permits to work in the private sector. All students under the age of 18 require a written consent from a guardian to apply for work permits.

The decree will grant all students the same benefits and advantages as those in regular employment in the same position. It also orders companies to comply with all procedures and qualities of the permitted work during the training periods or jobs.

There are three types of work permits available for students in UAE:
– temporary work permit,
– part-time work permit,
– juvenile work permit

The fee for each work permit is Dh500.

A temporary work permit allows companies to hire national or expatriate students, registered or non-registered in the ministry’s database, to work on projects with completion periods not exceeding six months.

A part-time work permit allows companies to hire national or expatriate students to work for fewer hours in a job than their counterparts, for a period not exceeding one year.

A juvenile work permit allows companies to employ national or expatriate students between 15 and 18 years for a period not exceeding one year.

The students cannot be employed in 31 registered sectors. The decree also mandates companies to not make the students work for more than six hours a day and to grant them one or more hours of resting breaks to eat or pray. Companies cannot make the students work for more than four consecutive hours a day.

These permits can be requested from Tas’heel service centres or through the ministry’s smartphone applications.

Summary of new decree:

To get work permit for those under 18 years: A written consent from a guardian must be provided

Aged between 12 and 18 years: Can apply for permit for training positions

Aged between 15 and 18: Can apply for permit for work positions

Students of all ages will be granted the same benefits as regular employees in the same positions

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