The Struggle of Many in The Land of Opportunities - Best Cleaning Service in Dubai

I am inspired to write this article. I observed the resilience of my colleagues, despite all odds. Over ¾ of my team is from the Philippines. Most of them face a lot of challenges in their lives. Many have limited skills and education, and they have to do hard physical work. I learnt, they often become mothers at a young age, and they have to raise their children alone. They usually have more than one child, which makes it harder to provide for them.

In hope of finding better opportunities abroad, they face more problems in the process. Coming out of the Philippines is tough. Some agents arrange cross country arrangements, which are unsafe, to say the least. Once somehow they manage to come out, they have to deal with different cultures and laws, and they may not have legal status or protection. They have to work long hours and accept low wages, and they may not get paid on time or at all. They have no one to trust or depend on, and they may be exploited or abused. They may also feel lonely and unhappy, and they may seek comfort in unhealthy ways.

They want to earn more money, but they do not know how to manage their finances or plan for the future. They may have to send money back home to support their families, or they may have to deal with unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or legal fees. They may fall into debt traps, such as borrowing money from loan sharks who charge very high interest rates. They may be tempted to do illegal or immoral things to make ends meet.

This is a vicious cycle that seems impossible to break. But we believe that there is a way out. We want to help them overcome their difficulties and achieve their goals. We have identified the main issues that they face, and we have designed programs to address them. These are some of the things that we do:

– We hire them based on their skills and abilities, and we do not fire them unless they do something very wrong or illegal.

– We give them a second chance if they make a mistake, as long as they are willing to learn and improve.

– We reward them monthly with cash and certificates if they perform well and reach their targets.

– We pay them five days before the end of the month, so that they can pay their bills and send money home to the family in time.

– We give them a cash bonus if they refer someone who joins our team and works well.

– We train them to become team leaders, and we give them the opportunity to lead a group of team members and be part of the leader’s council.

– We give them the responsibility and authority to make decisions and solve problems, and we treat them as family members.

– We promote them according to their performance and potential, and we evaluate and reward them for their contribution.

– We work on education – work, soft skills, personal healthcare, money skills etc.

– They get increment every time they are offered a renewal of their work contract with us.

We have seen the positive results of our programs. We have seen them become more confident and motivated. We have seen them work together and support each other. We have seen them grow and succeed. This is what we call success – offering them certainty of job, dignity of work, and fair chance to grow.

The Risks and Dangers of Illegal Work Options

Over the years, we have observed several reasons given to quit work. Recently we notice a trend that shows that a few are tempted to quit their once desired jobs and look for easier ways to make money. They may hear about some agents who offer them different work options that seem too good to be true to us. But they do not know the risks and dangers of these options, and they may end up in trouble or worse. So we started investigating and collecting the facts. Here are some of the things that they need to be aware of:

First Important Information

Freelance Visa The UAE has introduced freelance visas (self-employment) for a host of categories to woo brilliant minds into the country. Multiple free zones across the UAE – such as twfour54, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Design District, Ajman Free Zone – offer a wide range of freelance visas to residents and foreigners to work in the UAE. Irrespective of whichever free zone people apply for the visa, they can work across the UAE in their relevant field. – Khaleej Times

Freelancer visa is a particular legal status in UAE and not a type of work.

Categories Allowed: Banking / finance Professionals, Media, Educationist, IT Professionals, Designers.

Documents Needed For A Dubai Freelance Visa:

You don’t usually require a specific professional background as a freelancer; you must gather certain documents and submit them for an Apply Freelance Visa in Dubai with Freelancer Visa Dubai.

Passport copies (yours and any dependents)
Passport-sized photographs
Educational certificates or professional qualifications
Portfolio showcasing your work
Business plan detailing your freelance activities
No Objection Certificate (NOC) if you’re currently employed in the UAE
Health insurance coverage documents

Dubai Freelance Visa Cost

Regarding the price of a freelance visa in 2024, there are generally four distinct expenses to consider while obtaining and renewing your freelance visa.

Freelance Permit- The Freelance visa in Dubai costs AED 7,500 for issuance and renewal, with an annual renewal requirement.
Establishment Card- The establishment card in Dubai carries a cost of AED 2,000 for both issuance and renewal. It is necessary to renew this card on an annual basis.
Employment Visa- The employment visa in Dubai comes in two options: a 3-year valid visa costs AED 2,750, and a 5-year valid visa costs AED 5,000. You must renew these visas every 3 and 5 years, respectively.
Residence Visa- If you are applying for a residence visa (valid for 3 years) from outside the UAE, the cost will be AED 3,330 for the Normal processing and AED 3,900 for the Express processing

If you apply for a residence visa (valid for 3 years) from within the UAE, the cost will be AED 4,960 for the standard processing option and AED 6,340 for the express processing option.

Be aware that freelance visa Dubai fees or freelance visa costs in Dubai can change periodically, emphasizing the importance of staying informed about the current costs for your selected freelance permit.

Second Important Information:

Part time work: The government of UAE has also legalized part time work, but only if they have a valid residence permit and take a labor permit for the part time that you accept. One cannot work part time without a Labor permit, and you cannot work for anyone who does not have a license to hire them, i.e. company. Working at a client home, can be done by a company employee with required license for the activity or deployed through Tadbeer.

To protect rights of everyone involved & maintain legality, the law requires transacting parties must be recognized as business or customer for sale of goods or service must be between:

Business to business (B2B)
Business to customer (B2C). A part-time work that fits this definition, is within legal permission.
Business & employee (or part time employee)

To hire a part time employee, you need a labor permit from MOHRE. To apply for that, you need to be listed as a company with MOHRE first.

Anyone hiring beyond legal boundaries, are also breaking the law and they may face penalties or deportation. The law is very strict about these matters, and it has severe punishments for both the workers and the employers who are involved in illegal work. According to Federal Decree number 2, the employer (Resident at home who hires) may have to pay a fine of AED 50,000 for the first offense, and up to AED 200,000 for repeat offenses. The worker may be blacklisted and deported, and they may also have to spend some time in jail.

What is the Scam: With two above option news circulating, which are independent developments, some agents mislead the potential prey by mixing them. They offer them a visa at a high price, which is not a freelance category, and they tell them that they can work anywhere they want since both – Freelance & Part time, have been legalized. They may also give them a No Objection Certificate, which is supposed to allow them to work for another employer. But this is a scam, as they do not educate the requirements as per law for each permission.

The agent may disappear after taking their money, and they may find out that their employer’s trade license is no longer valid since it was just another job visa, not Freelancer category visa. They have to run around and try to fix their legal status, as employer is required for labor & visa cancellation or they may get caught and arrested.

These are some of the illegal work options that some women may fall for, and they may regret it later. They may think that they can earn more money by working this way, but they may end up losing more money or their freedom. They may also influence others to join them, and they may put them in danger too. I can not forget the shine of money in the eyes of an ex-employee at the exit interview. While they shared their plans, and knew little about what it entails, I felt helpless after trying. My advice at such a moment was easily considered biased.

We do not want these women to suffer or risk their lives for money. We want them to be safe and legal, and to work with dignity and respect. That is why we are writing this article, to educate them and warn them about the risks and dangers of illegal work options, which look too tempting.

I kept rethinking, should the title of this article be better as The Real Cost of Education – or lack thereof.

I am attaching some of the article links here so what is mentioned here can be validated.