Are you dreaming of sponsoring your family and bringing them to the United Arab Emirates? If so, you can now sponsor your family regardless of your job title.
In the past, only certain professionals could sponsor family members, specifically those with managerial positions. However, the UAE government announced an update this year, removing the job title as a requirement to sponsor family residence visas.
Now, you can secure your family’s residence visa if your salary fits the minimum AED 4,000 salary requirement, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
If you are sponsoring family members who are 18 years old and above, they must undergo and pass medical fitness tests at approved UAE health centers.
However, you must take note that the UAE has different requirements depending on the family member you’re sponsoring.
Sponsoring parents
Sponsoring parents is possible, but an expat resident must sponsor both his parents together. He must also pay a deposit as a guarantee for each parent. Moreover, the sponsor must prove to that he is the only support that his parents can rely on and that there is no one to take care of them back home.
Meanwhile, if an expat only has one parent because the other one passed away, or due to his parents’ divorce, they must justify that they are the sole sponsor for their parents. According to Amer’s website, the Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) requires sponsores to have a minimum salary of AED 20,000 to bring their parents in the UAE.
Sponsoring wives
Expat residents must provide an attested marriage certificate translated into Arabic to prove an existing marital relationship with the family member.
Muslim residents can sponsor two wives as long as they meet the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security’s (ICP) terms and conditions.
Sponsoring children
Daughters can only be sponsored by an expat resident in the UAE if unmarried regardless of age.
As for sons, they can be sponsored only until they are 25 years old. Meanwhile, if the son is a person of determination or has special needs, he can be sponsored by his parent regardless of his age.
For mothers who gave birth to their babies in the UAE, they must apply for the child’s residence visa within 120 days of its birth. If not, the parents would face fines.
Stepchildren can also be sponsored as long as they meet the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs’ (GDRFA) conditions. One of the requirements is a deposit for each child. The biological parent should also provide a written no-objection certificate. The stepchildren’s residence visa will only be valid for a year, but step-parents can renew it annually.
If the sponsor’s visa gets canceled for some reason, the visa of the sponsored family dependents must also be canceled. Dependents have a 6-month grace from the date of their visa’s cancellation or expiry. If a sponsor fails to cancel their dependents’ visa or renew it, they might face a fine.
With the recent amendments to the UAE law, overseas Filipinos no longer require managerial positions to sponsor family members. This pivotal change offers greater opportunities for OFWs to reunite with loved ones back home, fostering the dream of living together in the UAE.
