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The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) has set the record straight that "salary and not job title is now the basis for residence visa applications for both male and female expats wanting to sponsor their family members," a FAIC official told Khaleej Times on Tuesday.
This follows a KT report on Monday about female residents seeking clarity on the new sponsorship rule in the UAE.
Some wives who are planning to sponsor their husbands have expressed confusion following the federal government's announcement on Sunday that salary and not job title is the basis for residence visa applications.
They said Amer centres, a one-stop facility for visa and immigration-related services in Dubai, seem unaware of the new rule.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Indian expat Nitasha PK said she called an Amer call centre on Monday. She was disappointed to find out that she can not sponsor her husband, who recently lost his job, even though it was earlier announced by FAIC that any "UAE resident, male or female, can sponsor family members (spouse, under-18 sons and unmarried daughters), provided he/she earns a monthly salary of Dh4,000 or at least Dh3,000 plus accommodation from the company".
Nitasha said an Amer agent explained to her that the provision on Dh4,000 basic salary or Dh3,000 basic free accommodation is applicable only for those who are working as an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any other profession related to the medical sector.
Nitasha works as a communications specialist and earns around Dh8,500 per month, inclusive of transportation and housing allowances. The Amer call centre agent told Nitasha that her job category is not included in the exemption and she can only sponsor her husband and two kids if her monthly salary is Dh10,000 or Dh9,000 plus free accommodation.
Women expats in Abu Dhabi are also confused because a government website listed that "a woman in Abu Dhabi could sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating that she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any other profession related to the medical sector and if her monthly salary is not less than Dh 10,000 or Dh8,000 plus accommodation."
Categorical clarification
The FAIC spokesman has categorically told Khaleej Times that all expats - male and female - can now sponsor their spouse or children provided they earn a monthly salary of Dh4,000 or at least Dh3,000 plus accommodation from the company as per the new changes to residence visa which came into effect on Sunday.
He explained that a government website is still stating the previous requirements because the "website has not been updated yet."
The FAIC on July 14 announced that it is adopting Cabinet Resolution No.30 for 2019, changing the main condition of acquiring residency from employment to income.
Major General Saeed Al Rashidi, FAIC director-general of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at the ICA, explained in a statement: "The sponsor, whether male or female, must present a certified marriage certificate and their children's birth certificates translated into Arabic, as well as proof of their monthly income. A wife wishing to sponsor their children must attach a certified written agreement from her husband."
The FAIC spokesperson said: "The new changes to the residence visa applies to all men and women wanting to sponsor their spouses and children."
Khaleej Times Khaleej Times is awaiting response from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai for clarification on the implementation of the new family visa rule.
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