UAE Residence Visa Guide: Expatriates In UAE Are Now Permitted To Sponsor Their Children Up To 25 Years
There is nothing more precious to you than your family and no matter where your dreams take you, living your dream without them seems hollow. Why not welcome your family members to a country where you are relocating for work? Yes, now you can at least in the UAE. As, in September, new categories of entry permits will be implemented.
There have been a number of changes to the visa categories in the UAE, some of which take effect in September. Expatriates in the UAE are now permitted to sponsor their children up to the age of 25, instead of 18 years earlier. Parents may sponsor their unmarried daughters indefinitely, and children of determination are also eligible for residence permits regardless of their age.
It is believed that the best beneficiaries of these updated visa regulations are the families, which will facilitate an extension of their stay in the UAE and also make the country more family-friendly.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for visa holders who wish to sponsor their children:
Golden Visa Holders
Golden Residence holders can sponsor their spouse and children no matter their age. Support services staff can also be sponsored without being limited in number. The Golden Residence does not restrict the duration of stays outside of the UAE. The family members of a deceased Golden Residence holder can remain in the UAE until the permit expires.
Green Visa & Other Categories
Sponsorships are now available to children aged 18 to 25, including unmarried daughters. There is no age limit on the residence permit granted to children of determination. Sponsorship is permitted for first-degree relatives of Green Residence holders. Whenever a family member joins the original resident, the residency will have the same validity duration as the original resident.
Sponsorship Requirements
According to UAE Government’s official portal, employees and employers of expatriate residents are allowed to sponsor their family members for residence in the UAE as long as they possess a valid residence permit/visa. Visas are valid for a year, and renewable until the student completes his or her education.
- A medical fitness test must be completed by all family members aged 18 and over at an approved UAE health center. It is not possible to grant a residence visa to someone who is medically unfit.
- In the UAE, resident sponsors have 60 days to apply for the residence visa of their dependents once they have entered the country under an entry permit.
- AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation is the minimum salary that employees must earn to sponsor their families.
The GDRFA also permits expatriates to sponsor stepchildren after providing the biological parent with a written no-objection certificate.
Documents Required
- Application by online means or through a registered typing office
- A copy of each of the wife’s and children’s passports
- Children’s and wife’s photos
- Children over 18 and their mother’s medical clearance certificate
- Contract of employment or company contract of the husband
- Employer’s salary certificate stating the employee’s salary each month
- Certificate of legalization of marriage
- A registered tenancy agreement
- The most recent utility bill.
Note: There may be changes to these conditions from time to time. If in doubt, please contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.