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Family-Sponsored Residence

United Arab EmiratesFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in United Arab Emirates Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

An expatriate resident may sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 years old, and children with special needs. Holders of the Green visa are additionally entitled to sponsor first-degree relatives.

See recorded sources
  • u.ae Residence visa for family members page
    Expatriate residents may bring in his/her spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 years old, and children with special needs. Holders of the Green visa are also entitled to sponsor first-degree relatives.

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

A foreign resident sponsor (head of the family) must hold a valid UAE residence permit. A UAE citizen may also sponsor a spouse, parent or child who holds a foreign passport, in which case the UAE citizen is the sponsor and the family member can get a 5-year residence visa without having to work in the UAE.

See recorded sources

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

Proof of kinship must be provided. ICP lists the documents as an attested marriage contract and children's birth certificates; birth certificates prove children's ages, or documents prove special needs regardless of age.

See recorded sources

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The sponsor must meet the minimum-salary support test (AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation) to sponsor dependants.

See recorded sources

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

Family residence matches the sponsor's permit and cannot exceed it, and the family's permits are linked to the sponsor's: if the sponsor's visa is cancelled, the dependants' visas must also be cancelled. Dependants get a 6-month grace period from expiry or cancellation to obtain a new residence permit, and a sponsor who fails to renew or cancel dependants' visas could be liable to a fine. The official source does not state the application process or the family member's own rights, such as whether they may work.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The family member's own rights (e.g. whether they may work) are not stated in the cited text.
  • No route to an independent or longer-term status for the family member is stated beyond obtaining a new residence permit within the grace period.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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