Family Visa

Family Visa

Prerequisites for Family Resident Visa Sponsorship

If you are a foreign citizen residing in the UAE on a residence visa, you have the option to bring your family along through a UAE family visa. However, not everyone is eligible to sponsor their dependents. Specific requirements must be met to obtain a family visa in the UAE.

According to UAE laws, expatriate residents can sponsor their family members if they hold a valid residency permit.

For expatriate male residents, sponsorship of close family members such as spouses and children is permitted based on a minimum income requirement. The resident must earn a minimum of AED 4000 or AED 3000 including housing facilities.

Before March 2019, only expatriate employees in certain job categories were allowed to sponsor family members. However, a revised amendment now allows employees from any job category to apply for a family visa, provided they meet the minimum income requirement. For further details, please refer to the GDRFA website.

 

Mothers are permitted to sponsor their children if the father is unavailable or ineligible to sponsor. If the father meets the sponsorship criteria and resides in the Emirates, the mother’s eligibility to sponsor may be limited.

The application for the residence visa must be completed within 60 days of the dependent’s entry to the UAE by the sponsor.

The duration of the visa issued for the sponsor’s family members may vary based on factors such as the sponsor’s profession, labor contract, and capability. Typically, residency visas are issued for one or two years for overseas employees, while foreign employers may receive a three-year residency visa.

There are age-related restrictions for sponsored family members regarding the duration of the residency visa. Parents and adult male members seeking education are exempt from the sponsor’s visa duration and are typically issued one-year visas.

It’s important to note that rules and regulations may undergo revisions or modifications. When applying for a Dubai family visa, ensure you meet the sponsorship criteria mentioned above. You can also apply for your family visa through the local GDRFA office in the Emirates. Docwin is a reputable consulting service provider in the UAE offering various visa services. Our visa experts can assist you in obtaining your UAE family visa efficiently.

Medical examination for acquiring UAE residence visa

The individuals who are willing to acquire a UAE residence visa must go through a medical examination to prove their level of fitness. Individuals above the age of 18 and irrespective of the gender should go through the medical examination. The residence visa is issued on the basis of this examination. These examinations are conducted at health centres that are sanctioned by the UAE government. The medical examination is mandatory for both first-timers and for the purpose of renewal.

The medical examination is conducted to rule out the chances of transmittable or contagious diseases like Pulmonary Tuberculosis and HIV. The final result of the medical examination determines the eligibility of the applicant for a resident visa. The applicant will be regarded as unfit in case the result proves positive. In other words, the applicant will be denied of residence visa if found to be infected with either of the diseases. A positive test result can lead to instant deportation of the applicant.

Many healthcare centres operate in the Emirates of Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Ministry of Health and Prevention runs health care centres in the UAE for the purpose of residency visa issuance.

Sponsoring for UAE Family Visa

A foreign employee should satisfy the aforementioned prerequisites to provide sponsorship for family members. The family members include wife and children. And these prerequisites are formulated by the GDRFA. (General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs). A male expatriate can easily sponsor his family to the UAE than a woman. If you are a male expatriate who holds the UAE residence visa, you can bring the below-mentioned family members on UAE family visa.

Procedure to sponsor wife – the overseas resident is required to produce the original marriage certificate as a proof of marriage. The marriage certificate must be in Arabic or a translated one.

Procedure to sponsor two wives – In certain scenarios, a resident Muslim may be permitted to offer sponsorship for 2 wives. However, in this case, the sponsor should satisfy the concerned GDRFA rules and regulations.

Procedure to sponsor daughters – An overseas employee or employer is permitted to sponsor residence visa to the daughter, only if she is not married. The rule applies irrespective of the number of daughters.

Procedure to sponsor sons – An upper age limit of 18 is applicable when it comes to sponsoring sons. An overseas resident can offer sponsorship to his son beyond the age of 18 on educational grounds. The sponsor is allowed to offer sponsorship if the son pursues an education in an overseas country or in the Emirates. In the case of overseas studies, the son is required to ensure the validity of the residence visa. The residence visa will not be valid if he is not present in the UAE for more than 6 months. In order to ensure the visa validity, the son should conduct a visit to the Emirates once in 6 months. The residence visa is issued for one year. The visa can be renewed until the completion of the study.

Documentation regarding sponsoring children and wife

The visa applicant is required to duly fill the application online or via authorized typing centres. The documents needed to sponsor a UAE family visa are mentioned below: 

  • Children’s copy of passport
  • Wife’s copy of passport
  • Passport size photo of wife
  • Passport size photo of children
  • Wife’s medical approval certificate
  • medical approval certificate of the children if they are above the age of 18.
  • Proof of the employment agreement of the husband and salary certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Occupancy agreement
  • Last month’s service bill
Residency visa for parents

There are certain conditions to be met in order to sponsor the parents of the overseas employee/worker. The overseas worker is required to pay the security deposit for the purpose of sponsoring the parents. Each parent requires a separate security deposit and the amount is specified by the concerned Immigration section. The period of stay is one year.

The overseas worker is supposed to sponsor both the parents at once instead of father or mother. Sponsoring a single parent is not allowed. The reason for sponsoring must be specified by the sponsor. The sponsor should produce proofs that substantiate the same as he is the only support to the parents and there is no means of support and care in their original country of residence.

The question of sponsoring either of the parents arises at the time of death of one of the parents. It may also take place in special scenarios like divorce. In both the scenarios, the sponsor is required to produce the reason for sponsoring the father or the mother with supporting documents.

Another important condition to be met by the resident sponsor is the minimum income prerequisite. The sponsor should meet this minimum prerequisite and the salary specified is AED 20,000/month or 19,000/month including a 2-bedroom housing facility. The salary mentioned here is based on the information published by the Department of Naturalisation and Residency Dubai website. The salary prerequisites may vary for another Emirate.

Apart from the minimum salary prerequisite, the overseas sponsor should acquire a medical insurance cover for both the father and the mother. The annual renewal of the policy is necessary in order to continue the coverage.

Validity of the Family residence visa

The category of the person who offered the sponsorship and the individual/individuals sponsored determines the validity of the residence visa. A Family Visa in UAE are usually issued for 1, 2, or 3 years and can the visa need to be renewed at least thirty days before expiry. The validity of the UAE family visa depends upon the individuals involved. The family visa renewal criteria are almost the same as the issuance of a new visa.

When it comes to Dubai Family visa,, the visa of the overseas employee is connected to that of his family dependents. By any chance, if the overseas employee’s visa gets annulled, it may demand the annulment of the dependent’s visa.

After the date of annulment, the sponsored individuals get 30 days’ time for visa renewal. If the renewal or annulment is not done by the sponsor within the prescribed time period, the sponsored individuals may face a financial penalty.

Rules and regulations connected with sponsorship changes with the type of dependent. The UAE Family Visa is a sort of residence visa, for which you can submit applications on behalf of your dependents. The applications for family visa in Dubai or any other Emirates can be submitted at the corresponding offices of the GDRFA. Kiltons visa consultants are adept in securing a family visa that suits your needs. We guide and assist UAE residents to attain a Family visa in UAE.

Above all, we undertake the entire documentation and application process. Chat with our visa experts and clear your doubts.