Effective April 1, 2025, new employment regulations will take effect for the Abu Dhabi Global Market Authority (ADGM), including the following immigration-related changes:
- requiring employers to cancel work permits, residency visas and identity cards, and cover any related cost in this procedure; whereas currently regulations make no specific provisions about cancellation procedures or costs;
- removing the two-year pay cap on end-of-service gratuities, requiring the gratuity to be paid regardless of the termination reason, and allowing employers to offer a pension or savings scheme as an alternative to gratuity payments, among other changes to gratuity rules;
- creating a new category (called “Part-Time Employee”) which seeks to simplify the calculation of leave and other entitlements for individuals working reduced hours. The current regulations do not define or address part-time employment.
- creating a new category (called “Remote Employees”). As part of this, remote workers residing and working outside the United Arab Emirates will not require a UAE residency visa or work permit. Current regulations are silent on remote working.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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