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New UAE visa reforms: More benefits for family members, visitors

Can residents stay in the country for up to six months after visa cancellation?

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UAE residents can now sponsor children up to the age of 25 years, with no age limit for unmarried daughters. Previously, the age limit for sponsoring children was 18 years.

Under new residence types introduced by the Emirates on Monday, residents can now also avail of longer flexible grace periods that allow them to stay in the country for up to six months after the cancellation or expiry of their residence permit. However, it is not immediately clear whether this applies to all visa types.

This comes as the Cabinet announced a slew of visa reforms under a new residency scheme. The initiatives - ranging from a five-year Green Visa to the introduction of new categories under the 10-year Golden Visa, among others - offer several benefits to facilitate the residency of family members in the country.

Benefits for family members

Under the new system, residents can easily issue residence permits for family members, including spouse and children.

Children of determination are granted a residence permit, regardless of their age.

Green Residence visa holders are allowed to issue residence permits for their first-degree relatives.

In all cases, the residency of family members shall be the validity duration as the original residence holder.

Meanwhile, the amendments also allow Golden Residence holders to sponsor family members, including spouse and children, regardless of their age.

Furthermore, they can sponsor support services (domestic workers) without limiting their number.

There is also no restriction related to the maximum duration of stay outside the UAE in order to keep the Golden Residence valid.

Benefits for visitors

The new system also offers UAE visitors a variety of visa types for different visit purposes. For the first time, new types of visas have been introduced that do not require a host or sponsor.

Major improvements include facilitating the entry requirements for all visa types, offering flexible visa durations that meet the needs of the visitors and the purpose of the visit.

In addition, all entry visas are available for single or multiple entry and can be renewed for similar period(s). They will be valid for 60 days from their issuance date.

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