Job Seeker Visa

The job seeker visa is a single-entry permit introduced in the UAE's 2022 immigration overhaul allowing a foreign national to enter and stay temporarily — options run from roughly sixty to one hundred twenty days — specifically to look for employment, without needing a sponsor or host. Eligibility targets skilled applicants: classification within the higher MOHRE skill levels, fresh graduates of recognised top universities, and similar categories, with a refundable financial guarantee as part of the application. Its legal significance is that it created a clean, lawful channel for the job hunt that previously happened on tourist visas — and working remains prohibited on the job seeker visa itself; once hired, the employer processes a work permit and the person converts to employment residence via change of status. Practical issues include timing the conversion before expiry and the visa's interaction with prior bans or absconding flags, which still block issuance.