Dubai authorities are intensifying efforts to curb illegal employment, particularly targeting individuals working while on visit visas.
According to Safeer Mohammed, the general manager of Smart Travels, there has been an increase in inspections at various company offices. “We’ve seen inspection teams conduct multiple visits to our office tower in recent months,” he shared with Khaleej Times. “While working on a visit visa has always been prohibited, authorities are now more actively ensuring compliance with the law.”
He also noted that since the start of the year, the number of people overstaying their visit visas has dropped to less than 10 percent, thanks to the ongoing enforcement measures. 
These actions come on the heels of the end of the visa amnesty scheme, which ran from September to December 2024. The amnesty allowed individuals who had overstayed their visas to either regularize their status or leave the country without facing penalties. The scheme, considered one of the most lenient in the region, helped thousands of people resolve their visa issues, but now the crackdown is in full force.
