Ref: NP946-303

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Dubai Immigration Lead

To lead and manage the Dubai Immigration team and responsible for the immigration processes of all employees and their dependents as well as inbound and outbound cross border business travellers. The remit includes visas for new employees and dependents as well as secondees and interns. It also covers renewals and cancellations of all types of visa, as appropriate. Ensuring that the firm is compliant with UAE immigration requirements and that Ministry files are not blocked and fines are avoided. Ensure that all employees, particularly new employees, receive excellent client service and that the onboarding experience for new joiners is smooth, quick and efficient. Responsible for handling complex situations and stakeholders, sensitive immigration issues and for troubleshooting difficult cases. Process and system improvement to improve efficiencies and levels of service. Ensure that we maintain and continue to develop our relationships with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs (GDRFA)

The remit of the role covers mainland Dubai, DIFC (free zone) and Sharjah mainland with responsibility for over 1200 employees.

Key Responsibilities

Visa Processing
• Deal with queries, delegate work to the appropriate team members and monitor workflow to ensure timely responses and adherence to agreed KPIs
• Ensure the risk of file blocks and fines are minimised and keep the appropriate stakeholders updated
• Oversea all partner visas
• Ensure that the visa element of the Onboarding process is as smooth and efficient in order to ensure that employees have a positive first impression and become operational as quickly as possible.
• Ensure that visa renewals are done in a timely manner with minimal disruption to client activities and prioritisation for those with urgent business travel requirements
• Guide business travellers to comply with the Cross Border Travel Support (CBTS) requirements and ensure that assessments are prioritised according to travel date and carried out in a timely manner
• Work very closely with the Recruitment team to ensure that the latest Emiratisation developments are communicated and actioned,
• Ensure that new employees receive a professional visa induction and that their expectations are managed and exceeded
• Ensure the team are motivated to continually refine and improve processes and service level in an environment of constant immigration and security changes
• Continually work to improve processes and productivity including further development in the area of pioneering robotic technology

Operations Management

Visa Cancellation
• Deal sensitively with exit situations
• Ensure that employees have a positive experience in the hope that they will go on to be ambassadors for EY, strong members of our alumni and our brand and reputation will be protected and strengthened

Others
• Renewal of Trade licenses, Dubai Chamber licences, audit licenses
• Support the Legal team with entity re-structures, legalization/notarization of documents and ad hoc requests
• Ensuring the team support employees and other teams where PRO representation is required
• Represent EY during any ad hoc Ministry inspections
• Support EY’s Emiratization and D&I initiatives

Administration
• Ensure that weekly financial reconciliations are carried out and for ensuring that weekly reconciliations take place so that we have the required funds in all of our on-line accounts and we maintain the appropriate level of petty cash
• Ensuring that our cash handling processes are robust and compliant with EY policies
• Ensure that the Business Immigration Tracker (BIT) is kept up to date so that all employee records are complete, documents are uploaded both in BIT and on the relevant drive;
• Ensure that timely renewal reminders are sent out from BIT
• Ensure all process flows are kept up to date and circulated to the appropriate stakeholders
• Ensure any changes to Immigration and Labour law process and procedures are circulated to the appropriate stakeholders

Emergency Responder
• Escalate any high risk situations to ensure that key stakeholders are aware of the risks
• Emergency point of contact for travellers out of office hours

Stakeholder Management and Networks
• Ensure that the team are connected and all stakeholders are kept aware of any Immigration challenges and changes to processes and procedures
• Work very closely with the client facing team to ensure that best practice is shared and both teams keep abreast of all the latest changes and developments and supporting business development initiatives, where appropriate
• Work very closely with the MOHRE to develop and maintain contacts and to ensure that we are involved in strategy and operational development, particularly with regard to Emiratisation
• Work very closely with the GDRFA to develop and maintain contacts

Team management
• Manage, coach and develop immigration team
• Prioritise workload and allocate resources as appropriate
• Provide pastoral support for the team who are working in a high pressured, constantly changing environment

Requirements

Capabilities / Skills
• Strong team and process management skills
• Ability to constantly prioritise and re-prioritise in a very fast paced environment
• Strength of character to force compliance and protect the firm’s interests and minimise risk
• Strong communication skills – written and verbal

Experiences
• Strong technical knowledge of Dubai mainland and free zone (DIFC) Immigration processes, robust knowledge of the UAE labour law and the difference between mainland and free zone processes
• Experience of managing multi-cultural teams

About the Company

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available on our site.

The MENA practice of EY has been operating in the region since 1923. For over 95 years, we have grown to over 7,500 people united across 21 offices and 16 countries, sharing the same values and an unwavering commitment to quality. As an organization, we continue to develop outstanding leaders who deliver exceptional services to our clients and who contribute to our communities. We are proud of our accomplishments over the years, reaffirming our position as the largest and most established professional services organization in the region

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