Kafala system (Immigration sponsorship system: not the labor law, it is an immigration system that regulates the exit, entry, and employment of foreign workers by linking them to a “kafeel” or sponsor) Qatar • To apply for a residence permit, you must have a Qatari sponsor (usually your employer) • The Qatari employer lodges the application for the residence permit and is responsible for renewing it. • Changing the sponsor/employer requires permission of the original sponsor/employer and the Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA). • Changing the sponsor/employer without the permission of the original employer is only permissible after a five-year period, and at the end of the contract period, unless the worker an prove abusive behavior. Kuwait • A sponsor is required to apply for a residence visa. • It is reported that changing the sponsor/employer appears possible with the permission of original sponsor/employer, and that this would be managed by the Ministry of Interior • Changing employer/sponsor without the permission of original employer/ sponsor is only possible after the end of a two-year contract • The employer can register an absconding charge, which will be confirmed seven days after it is registered, unless the domestic worker presents him/herself to the Domestic Workers Department or at a Public Authority for Manpower shelter. Changing sponsor/employer requires the permission of the original sponsor/ employer, unless: • The employer fails to pay the salary for three consecutive or intermittent months; • The employer is not present to receive the worker when he/she arrives in the country, or does not ‘pick up’ the worker within 15 days of arrival; • The employer fails to obtain a residency permit or to renew the expired permit; • The employer assigns the domestic worker to work for others (nonrelatives); • The employer requires the domestic worker to perform hazardous tasks; • The employer files an ‘invalid complaint’ that a worker has absconded; or • The employer fails to attend two sessions addressing a complaint filed by the worker. Saudi Arabia • A sponsor/employer is required to apply for a visa • The sponsor/employer can only be changed with the permission of the original sponsor/employer • Without permission of the sponsor/ employer, the domestic worker can terminate the contract only if the employer violates his legal obligations, but then the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) decides if the domestic worker can change his employer or has to leave the country. UAE DESK REVIEW ON POPULATIONS AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS 89