TECOM Free Trade Zone Requires Updated Foreign Employee Data

By June 10, all companies operating in the Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media (TECOM) free trade zone are required to confirm the names and salaries of all currently sponsored foreign employees and notify TECOM of necessary updates. Failure to do so will result in a suspension of a company's ability to receive any government services through TECOM, including the processing of employee visas, residence permits, and renewals. 

The information request is part of a TECOM Authority effort to update its databases for all companies that operate within its jurisdiction, and it could lead to the roll out of new online application systems in the free zone. 

All TECOM-based entities should soon receive an email notification about the data request, followed in the mail by a hard-copy list of the company's sponsored and non-sponsored foreign employee details. Employers must review this list, reconcile it with their internal HR records and return it to TECOM with any amendments. Employers will be required to provide updated salary details for each foreign employee. 

If an individual is listed as an active employee but is no longer employed, the employer will need to provide proof that it canceled the individual’s residence permit. Failure to cancel a permit may result in penalties and a declaration that the affected individual is an absconder, opening him or her up to deportation. 

Once an employer returns the list to TECOM, the list will be considered the final roster of the entity’s active foreign employees. 

What This Means for Employers 

Employers should begin reviewing the TECOM-provided list of sponsored foreign employees immediately to ensure compliance with the June 10 deadline. 

TECOM’s data collection effort should also serve as an important reminder of the importance of complying with immigration sponsorship requirements, in particular with resident permit cancellation requirements. Additional enforcement actions from TECOM, such as worksite inspections, are also possible following the data review. 

How Fragomen Can Assist 

Fragomen can assist employers in reviewing the list of sponsored workers and checking it against both our and the employer’s HR records. Where necessary, Fragomen can provide proof of prior permit cancelations for those cases with which we assisted. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].  

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