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Employment & HR

Work permit categories and MOHRE skill levels

Twelve permit types and five skill levels, and almost nobody outside HR knows which one they hold. Levels one to three are the ones that open the five-year Green Visa.

Levels 1–5 MOHRE1–3 opens the Green Visa12+ permit types

The entitlement

What the law gives, regardless of contract.

MOHRE issues work permits in a range of categories beyond the standard employment permit: transfer permits for moving between employers, temporary work permits, part-time permits, juvenile permits, student training permits, national trainee permits, freelance and self-employment permits, and permits for employees of companies not registered with MOHRE. Separately, every role is classified into one of five professional skill levels based on the job title, the qualification required and the nature of the work.

The skill classification is the part with consequences. Levels one to three cover managerial roles, professionals requiring a university degree, and technicians requiring a post-secondary qualification. Those levels are what qualify a person for the five-year Green Visa as a skilled employee, for the job exploration entry permit, and for more straightforward family sponsorship. Levels four and five do not. Because the classification follows the job title recorded on the permit rather than the work actually done, an employee can be doing level-two work under a level-four title, and will only discover it when a Green Visa application is refused.

The numbers

Level 1
Managerial and executive roles
Level 2
Professionals requiring a university degree
Level 3
Technicians requiring a post-secondary diploma
Levels 4 and 5
Skilled and unskilled roles below the diploma threshold
Green Visa
Requires levels 1–3, plus AED 15,000/month and a degree
Basis
The job title on the permit, not the work performed

What it costs

Level 1 — managerialEligibleQualifies for the five-year Green Visa, with salary and degree.
Level 2 — degree professionalEligible
Level 3 — diploma technicianEligible
Levels 4 and 5Not eligibleThe classification follows the job title on the permit, not the work performed.
The classification follows the job title on the permit, not the work performed or the salary paid.

In practice

How this is actually administered.

  1. Find out which level you are onIt follows the job title on the work permit. Most employees have never checked and many are surprised.
  2. Match the title to the actual roleA misdescribed title is correctable by permit amendment, and it is worth doing before you need it.
  3. Use the right permit categoryTransfer, temporary, part-time and training permits exist for a reason, and using an employment permit for a three-month engagement is a violation.
  4. Check the level before promising a Green Visa routeEmployers who tell staff they can self-sponsor should confirm the classification first.
  5. Amend before renewal rather than afterA permit amendment at renewal is routine; mid-term it is a separate application.
The mistake people make. Assuming the classification follows seniority or salary. It follows the recorded job title, which is often chosen for administrative convenience by someone who had no idea it would determine an employee's immigration options three years later.

Related

The Green VisaThe employment visaPart-time permitsThe job exploration permit

Questions

A five-level classification of roles based on job title and required qualification. Levels one to three cover managerial, professional and technician roles.

It follows the job title on your work permit and can be checked through MOHRE's channels or with your employer.

Levels one to three are required for the five-year Green Visa as a skilled employee, and affect the job exploration permit and family sponsorship.

Yes, by permit amendment. It is simplest to do at renewal.

One question

How many people are on the payroll?