The Federal Office for Identification and Citizenship (ICP) and the General Directorate for Residence and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA) jointly monitor visa compliance and the legality of employment of foreign nationals. The grace period given to foreigners to legalize their stay or leave the country has recently ended. This means that inspections of companies for compliance with labor laws and illegal employees are now intensifying.
The risks for businesses that ignore the requirements of the law are significant. There are significant fines for hiring employees with expired visas or without work permits at all. The penalties range from AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000, an amount that can seriously undermine the financial position of even a large company.