UAE visa problem for Indians with new passports

Dubai - Visa applications with new Indian passports that do not have an ‘emigration clearance not required’ (ECNR) stamp are being rejected by the UAE Ministry of Labour’s website.

According to a Gulf News report, the Indian Government requires all citizens who have not passed secondary school and are applying to work in one of 17 specified countries, including the UAE, to have an emigration clearance stamp on a specific page of their passport.
 
Those with a secondary school pass or better need an ECNR stamp.
 
However, as this was putting people through unnecessary hassle, the Protectorate of Emigrants abolished the need for the ECNR stamp and removed the page in October 2007.
The Consul General of India, Dubai, which has received several complaints, confirmed there has been an issue with new passports.
 
“We have received several complaints and our embassy in Abu Dhabi has taken up the issue with the Ministry of Labour,” said Ashok Babu, CGI Dubai’s media consul.
 
“We have clarified with them that the new passports don’t have the ‘emigration clearance’ page generally and that only in cases where clearance is required the ECR stamp will be there.”
 
He added that the Ministry of Labour is aware of the development has promised to change the system accordingly.