New expat family visa policy comes into effect

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has adopted a resolution that allows expats to sponsor their family visas based on their income and not their job title.

The policy states that residents will need to earn at least AED 3,000 with company accommodation or AED 4,000 without in order to sponsor their wife or husband, son under the age of 18, and unmarried daughter.

Potential beneficiaries must also provide proof of appropriate housing and health insurance for their families, as well as their registration in the national population database. Along with this, they must also apply for ID's for every family member.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Certified marriage certificate,
• Children's birth certificate(s) translated to Arabic,
• Proof of monthly income,
• In the case of a wife wishing to sponsor their children, they must present a certified written agreement from her husband,
• Widowed and divorced women can also sponsor their children but must prove custody by providing a death or divorce certificate.

Furthermore, the resolution requires families to declare only one sponsor, whether it be the husband or wife, to prevent multiple sponsors.