Glossary
Recruitment terms every Gulf employer should know
Clear definitions of the Indian emigration, Gulf labour-law and recruitment terms you will meet when hiring from India.
- Demand Letter
- Employer's document requesting a specified number of workers.
- A demand letter, issued by the foreign employer, lists the trades, number of workers, wages and benefits required. It may need attestation by the relevant authority before the agent can recruit.
- ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required)
- Indian passport category exempt from emigration clearance.
- ECNR status applies to passport holders who meet defined criteria, such as certain education levels or tax status, and who therefore do not need emigration clearance when travelling abroad for employment.
- ECR (Emigration Check Required)
- Indian passport category requiring emigration clearance for overseas work in listed countries.
- ECR is a passport classification under Indian emigration rules. Holders travelling for employment to ECR countries, which include all GCC states, must obtain emigration clearance through the government's eMigrate system before departure.
- eMigrate
- India's online system for overseas employment processing.
- eMigrate is the Indian government's digital platform used by foreign employers, registered recruiting agents and workers for demand approval, contract verification and emigration clearance.
- Emigration Act 1983
- India's law governing overseas recruitment and worker protection.
- The Emigration Act, 1983 regulates recruitment of Indian workers for overseas employment, requires agents to be registered and sets protections intended to prevent exploitation.
- Emiratisation
- UAE policy to increase Emirati employment in the private sector.
- Emiratisation sets targets and incentives for private-sector employers to hire UAE nationals, particularly in skilled roles, with penalties for non-compliance.
- Employer-Pays Model
- Principle that recruitment costs are paid by employers, not workers.
- Under ethical-recruitment standards, workers should not be charged recruitment fees or related costs. The employer-pays model is the basis of fair recruitment frameworks.
- GAMCA
- Association of GCC-approved medical centres.
- The GCC Approved Medical Centers Association accredits clinics that conduct medical examinations of workers travelling to several Gulf countries.
- Iqama
- Saudi Arabian residence permit for expatriates.
- The iqama is the residence and work identification card issued to expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia, linked to the employer's sponsorship.
- LMRA
- Bahrain's Labour Market Regulatory Authority.
- The LMRA issues work permits, regulates recruitment and oversees labour market policy in Bahrain.
- Mobilisation
- Moving selected workers to the employer's site.
- Mobilisation covers every task between selection and the worker starting work: documents, medical, visa, emigration clearance, travel, reception and accommodation.
- MOHRE
- UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
- MOHRE regulates private-sector employment in the UAE mainland, including work permits, labour contracts, wage protection and Emiratisation compliance.
- Nitaqat
- Saudi programme that bands employers by Saudi-national ratio.
- Nitaqat categorises employers by how many Saudi nationals they employ, linking the band to visa eligibility and other privileges.
- Omanisation
- Oman's policy to increase Omani employment.
- Omanisation establishes minimum ratios of Omani nationals by sector and reserves or restricts some occupations for nationals.
- PAM (Kuwait)
- Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower.
- PAM regulates private-sector employment in Kuwait, including approval of work permits and enforcement of Kuwaitization quotas.
- PBBY (Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana)
- Insurance scheme for Indian workers going overseas.
- PBBY is an insurance scheme for Indian migrant workers with ECR passports that provides accident and death coverage during their overseas employment.
- PDOT (Pre-Departure Orientation Training)
- Orientation programme for workers before they leave India.
- PDOT is a short training covering destination-country laws, worker rights, culture and grievance mechanisms, provided to workers going overseas for employment.
- Power of Attorney (PoA)
- Document authorising the Indian agent to recruit on the employer's behalf.
- A power of attorney authorises the Indian recruiting agent to act for the foreign employer in selecting and processing workers, within the scope defined by the employer.
- Qiwa
- Saudi Arabia's labour-market services platform.
- Qiwa is the digital platform operated by Saudi Arabia's labour ministry where employers manage contracts, work permits and workforce records.
- Recruiting Agent (RA)
- Agency registered in India to recruit workers for overseas employers.
- A Registered Recruiting Agent holds a licence under the Emigration Act and is authorised to recruit workers for foreign employers for ECR destinations.
- Trade Test
- Practical and theory assessment of a worker's trade skills.
- A trade test verifies that a candidate can perform the tasks claimed, using theory questions and practical exercises. Employers often use it as a gate before visa processing.
- Visa Stamping
- Placing a work or entry visa in a passport.
- Visa stamping is the stage where the destination country's visa is affixed or recorded for the worker after documents, medical and approvals are complete.
- Wage Protection System (WPS)
- Electronic system to monitor on-time wage payments.
- WPS is used in several Gulf countries to ensure employers pay wages through approved channels and on time, with regulators monitoring compliance.
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