Employment Immigration Managed Services
Sponsoring family Residence Visa in theUAE: Eligibility, pre-requisites, and process
Who qualifies asdependents and is eligible for procuring UAE family residence visa? What aresome of the pre-requisites to sponsor dependents?
UAE Employment Residence Permit Expatriate employees who have valid residencevisas and meet the salary requirements as well as other eligibility conditionscan sponsor their dependents.
Married couples cansponsor their spouse and children for a residence visa in the UAE. Same-sexmarriage and unmarried partners are not recognized under UAElaw. The residence visa process for the dependents can only be begunonce the employee has entered UAE and completed the residence visa stamping onthe passport.
In addition tosubmitting the marriage and birth certificates (only for children) attestedthrough UAE embassy in home country, a proof of residence in the form ofregistered tenancy contract is also required.
What is the validity of dependent residence visas?
The dependent visavalidity could be 1, 2, or 3 years and will depend on the sponsoring employee’semployment contract, nature of his work and jurisdiction. The residence visafor the dependents will be issued for the same number of years as that of the sponsor.Meaning that if the sponsor’s visa is issued for 2 years, the dependents willalso be eligible for a 2-year visa. At the same time, it is notnecessary for the dependent visa to have the same expiry dates as that of thesponsoring employee, as the visas are not directly linked to the expiry datebut sponsor’s visa duration.
The residence visa for adependent son 18 years of age or above continuing his education, parents anddomestic help is issued for 1 year only.
What is the salary requirement to sponsor wife and children?
Any male resident, whodraws a salary of AED 4000 or AED 3000 with accommodation can sponsor his wifeand children. The profession is no longer a criterion for sponsoring family aslong as one meets the income and other document requirements.
Can a woman sponsor her husband and children?
An employed woman cansponsor her husband and children provided the specified requirements are met,as defined by respective jurisdiction or emirate.
For instance, in Dubai,a female employee in any profession may be eligible for sponsoring thedependents as long as her monthly salary is AED10,000 and above. While meetingcertain professional levels may be a requirement in other emirates.
Additionally, if thefather resides in UAE and meets the eligibility criteria to sponsor kids, themother cannot sponsor the children.
Can sons above 18 years of age be sponsored?
An expat resident cansponsor the son up to 18 years of age. However, male children who arecontinuing their studies in a university would be approved a one-year visa.Additionally, students who graduated from universities will be eligible forone-year residence visa, which can be renewed for another year from thegraduation date. A copy of the attested university or school certificate isrequired.
What are the steps for procuring a dependent residence visa?
The residence visaapplication for the dependents are submitted once the employee has procured theresidence visa in the UAE. There is no option to submit a simultaneousapplication for the dependents along with the employee. Additionally, a proofof adequate residence by way of attested tenancy agreement is required.
The basic steps inprocuring the dependent residence visa are as follows:
1. Attestation of marriageand birth certificates
2. Application for theEntry permit
3. Entry into UAE/Change status
4. Medical Examination(aged 18 and above)
5. Emirates IDApplication and Biometrics (biometric is required for any one aged 15 andabove)
6. Health insurance enrolment
7. Residence visaapproval and visa endorsement on the passport
8. Issuance of EmiratesId card
Sponsoring stepchildren in the UAE
A legal resident cansponsor his or her stepchildren on meeting certain eligibility criteria set bythe UAE authorities. In addition to meeting basic eligibility to sponsor thedependents, the biological parent should hold legal custodian documents. Thecustodian document is a proof that the parent is given the custody of thechildren by a competitive authority. This has to be attested by the UAE Embassyin the country of issuance. The application is reviewed and approved by aspecial committee and there may also be a requirement to make refundabledeposit of AED5,000 at discretion of the authorities.
Residence Visa for the newborn child in UAE
The residence visa forthe child born inside UAE can be procured once the passport is issued by thehome country Embassy in the UAE. The birth certificate is issued by theMinistry of Health & Prevention and it has to be attested by the Ministryof Foreign Affairs (MOFA) before submitting the residence visa application. Thenewborn can directly procure the residence visa after registering for theEmirates Id card.
There is a grace periodof 120 days from the date of birth to apply for the newborn’s residence visa.Overstay fines would be applicable for each day thereafter.
Any child born outsidethe UAE will have to get the birth certificate attested through the UAE embassyin the country of birth. The standard residence visa application process to befollowed.
Sponsoring parents in the UAE
A UAE employmentresidence visa holder can sponsor the parents on meeting certain conditions. Tosponsor parents, the sponsoring resident must qualify the followingrequirements:
1. Produceproof of monthly salary of AED 20,000 and above
2. Shouldown or rent a two-bedroom accommodation
3. Enrollinto a medical Insurance policy with basic coverage before the issuance ofresidence visa
The expat can sponsorboth of his parents together. One of the parents can only be sponsored wherethe other parent has passed away or the parents are divorced. The officialdocuments to validate the request to sponsor just one parent would beessential.
How can BM Strategies assist?
BM Strategies is a UAEcorporate immigration service provider. We guide our clients on the best andmost efficient options and provide end to end services in managing employeeimmigration as well as company document compliance. Please reach out to us formore information on our immigration service offering. contactus@bmstrategies.com
Note: The informationprovided here are only for the purpose of providing an overview regarding theUAE immigration processes. The immigration regulations are subject to changefrom time to time from one jurisdiction to another. Hence the informationprovided hereby should not be considered an opinion or advice from BMStrategies but only a practical guide for general information. visit thiswebsite = https://bmstrategies.com/
