Have you ever thought about bringing your family to come and live with you in the UAE? As long as you meet the requirements and conditions, you can definitely consider this option and bring your spouse, children, parents, and other immediate family members to the country.
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For instance, if you are male resident with a minimum of AED 4,000 (or AED 3,000 plus accommodation), you can sponsor your wife and children in the UAE. Keep on reading to know more about the requirements, so that you can bring your family here!
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Guide to Sponsoring Your Family in the UAE
Previously, the UAE allowed only people of certain professions to apply for family sponsorship. As of March 2019, however, this provision is no longer required. Regardless of profession, a foreign worker may sponsor his family members, provided that he meets the income criteria (i.e. minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation).
Sponsoring Wife & Kids
A male resident may sponsor his wife and children if he meets the requirements set by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). He can sponsor his daughter(s) who is/are not yet married, as well as his son(s) up to the age of 18 years old.
Take note that as of 21 October 2018, the UAE set new rules for children’s visas. Students who have reached 18 years of age, or graduated from universities/secondary schools will be granted a one-year residence visa. What’s more, parents will not be required to place bank deposits for this type of visa. To apply, the parent must present his/her child’s attested graduation certificate from a university/school, whether inside or outside the UAE.
The documents required to sponsor wife and children generally include:
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- Accomplished application form (online or through a registered typing centre)
- Passport copies of wife and children
- Photographs of wife and children
- Medical clearance certificate of wife and children above 18 years old
- Copy of husband’s employment contract
- Husband’s salary certificate from employer (stating his monthly salary)
- Marriage certificate (translated into Arabic by a certified translator)
- Registered tenancy contract
- Latest utility bill
Female Sponsors
A woman may sponsor her husband and children as long as she meets the requirements. In Abu Dhabi, for example, a female engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse (or other health professionals) with a minimum salary of AED 10,000 (or AED 8,000 plus accommodation) may sponsor her family. In Dubai, a woman whose monthly salary is more than AED 10,000 can also sponsor her family, even if she does not belong to the job categories stated earlier.
Sponsoring Parents
To sponsor parents, a resident must meet a minimum salary requirement, acquire medical insurance for his parents, and meet other requirements, depending on the emirate. In Dubai, for instance, a resident planning to sponsor his parents must have a minimum salary of AED 20,000 or AED 19,000 plus a two-bedroom accommodation.
Medical Requirements
Members of the family who are 18 years old and above must undergo and pass a medical fitness test at a government-approved health centre in the UAE. These include tests for two communicable diseases: HIV and tuberculosis.
If an applicant is found to be positive of either condition, his/her residence visa will not be approved and he/she would be deported immediately. To avoid such situations, be sure to undergo a medical examination in your home country first.
Visa Validity & Renewal
A sponsor is given 60 days to apply for his family’s visa after they enter the UAE. During this period, their status must be modified from entry permit holders to resident visa holders.
The residence visa of family members depend on the sponsor’s nature of work and labour contract. Generally, expat employers are issued three-year residence visas, while expat employees are issued one-year or two-year visas.
If a sponsor’s visa gets canceled, his family’s visas would be canceled, too. In this case, his dependents are given 30 days to have their visas renewed. Beyond this grace period, their stay would be considered illegal and they would be liable to pay fines.
Please take note that all of these conditions are subject to change from time to time, so be sure to check with the GDRFA of your respective emirate for the latest information.
DISCLAIMER: The above guide is presented for information-sharing purposes only. To know more about the terms, requirements, and procedure for sponsoring your family in the emirates, please visit the official UAE Government Portal.
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