UAE: Can I sponsor my widowed mother’s visa if my salary is less than Dh20,000?

'If I am unable to get residency for her, how else can I get her to stay legally here?'

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Question: My mother was widowed recently and is all alone back in my home country. I earn a monthly salary that’s lesser than Dh7,000. Is there any way I can sponsor her visa here? If I am unable to get residency for her, how else can I get her to stay legally here?

Response: Pursuant to your queries, it is assumed that you are a resident of Dubai, and you do not have siblings in your home country to take care of your mother. In the UAE, an individual who earns a salary of at least Dh20,000 and who resides in at least a two-bedroom apartment may sponsor his or her parents.

Further, if one parent dies, his/her son or daughter needs to submit the death certificate that is duly notarised and legalised in his or her home country. Thereafter, it must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (the ‘MOFA’) in the UAE and the same needs to be legally translated in Arabic. Along, with the aforesaid requirement, one needs to obtain the dependency certificate which is duly attested from his or her consulate/embassy stating that he or she will take care of the parent in the UAE. The said document needs to be attested by MOFA and translated to Arabic.

However, as your salary is less than Dh20,000 and since your mother is residing alone in your home country, you may apply to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, (the ‘GDRFA- Dubai’) to sponsor your mother on humanitarian grounds. You may have to provide necessary documents and evidence confirming that you are the sole earning member in the family and your mother is a dependent.

Based on this, you need to submit the aforementioned documents and others like your UAE resident ID, passport, copies of your residence visa, salary certificate, employment contract, Ejari registration certificate, utility bill, latest bank account statement for three months and passport copy of your mother. The GDRFA-Dubai may then favourably consider your application.

If you are not able to secure a residency visa for your mother to reside in the UAE, you may apply for a long-term visit visa. Alternatively, your mother may obtain an investor visa, if she so desires.

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You may approach the GDRFA-Dubai for further advice regarding the said matter.

Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.