All you need to know about New Expat Family Sponsorship Rule in UAE

7th February 202415th July 2019 by Nadeem Rasheed

The Government of UAE has formulated a new family sponsorship policy that allows any UAE resident irrespective of the gender and the job title, to sponsor their family in the UAE. Before the introduction of this policy, the sponsorship was only limited to managerial positions or professionals. This policy helps the workers based in the UAE to sponsor their family members; the spouse, unmarried daughters, and under 18 sons, that allows them to stay in the UAE.

What are the Requirements for the Sponsorship in UAE?

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs has developed the following requirements for the sponsorship of family members in the UAE:

• The UAE Expats can sponsor their family members provided they have a valid residency permit/visa
• The male resident can sponsor the immediate family provided that they are employed in the UAE and have a minimum salary of AED 4000 or AED 3000 plus accommodation provided by the company.
• The requirements restrict the mother of the family from sponsoring her family members if the father is residing in the UAE and can meet the conditions for sponsorship of his family members.
• The resident sponsor has 60 days from the time the family enters the UAE to apply for a residence visa and change the status of the visa from ‘entry permit’ to ‘residence visa’
• The issued visa for the sponsored family will be for one, two, or three years depending on the nature of the employment and other conditions.
• Medical Fitness requirements:

1. To accept and grant residency visa to the family members, males, and females above the age of 18 years, need to undergo and pass a medical fitness test from the Dubai Health Authority approved centers in the UAE.
2. Applicants for the visa will be tested for two communicable diseases, HIV and pulmonary tuberculosis. The applicants that are detected with any of the two diseases will refrain from getting a residence visa and will be deported immediately. It is advisable to get yourself checked in your home country before applying for the residence visa.

The companies that offer PRO services in Dubai can help you organize your application and provide you with further details regarding the requirements to be able to sponsor your family members.

Sponsoring spouse and children in UAE

• To sponsor the spouse, the resident must submit the marriage certificate in Arabic or have it translated into Arabic by a certified translator.
• For sponsoring the children:
  1. Daughter – He can sponsor his daughter only if she is unmarried.
  2. Son – He can sponsor his son either if he is under the age of 18 years or if he is above 18 years but studying in the UAE or abroad by providing proof that he is still studying. If he is above 18 years, the visa will be granted on a yearly basis, until he finishes his education. The resident can sponsor him only until the age of 21 years. Further, if the son is studying abroad, he needs to enter the UAE at least once in every six months for the visa to remain valid.
• The government has developed a new rule relating to the sponsorship of the children that came into effect on the 21^st of October 2018. This rule allows the students graduated from a university or secondary school, above the age of 18 years to be granted a one-year residency visa that can be further renewed for one more year.

Sponsoring parents in UAE

• An employee that is a resident of the UAE can sponsor his parents for a year by paying a deposit that acts as a guarantee for each parent to the respective immigration department.
• He cannot sponsor only one parent; he needs to sponsor both the parents and to prove that he is the only sole supporting member in the family. If one of the parents has passed away or the parents are divorced, the son must submit the necessary documents proving the incidents.
• To sponsor the parents, the resident must earn a minimum salary as mentioned by the government and obtain a medical insurance policy for both the parents.
• According to the Dubai Government, for the resident to sponsor his parents, he must be earning a minimum salary of AED 20000 or AED 19000 plus accommodation.

Woman sponsoring her family members in the UAE

• Sponsoring Family In Abu Dhabi – A woman can sponsor her immediate family members if she has a residence visa stating that she is a professional from an industry that is recognized by the Abu Dhabi government for the woman to sponsor her family and her minimum salary is AED 10000 or AED 8000 per accommodation.
• Sponsoring Family In Dubai – If she is a professional from another industry, she may still sponsor her family if her salary is more than AED 10000 on the discretion of the Dubai government.

From the Authorities

• Cabinet Decision No 30 of the year 2019 develops the new policy for sponsorship and amends the previous resolutions on expatriate residents sponsoring their family members in the UAE.
• The General Secretariat of the Cabinet, explains that the law to provide sponsorship to family members has changed from ‘profession’ to ‘income’ which allows more workers to be able to sponsor their families, this will promote a healthy balance between professional and personal life.

PRO Services in Dubai

The new sponsorship visa policy introduced recently has a list of requirements attached. While applying for sponsorship, it is beneficial to consult a company that offers PRO services for a family visa in Dubai that can help in the application, renewal, and cancellation of residency visa. At Farahat & Co. we provide you with the best PRO services and information related to any new law or policy for visa applications in the UAE.