In what is said to be a major revamp of immigration laws, the UAE has introduced a new set of visa rules, impacting tourists, job seekers and residence seekers in the country.
Introduced under the Advanced Visa System, the new rules are effective from 3rd October. It also introduced changes including longer visas for tourists, extended residency for professionals under the Green Visa, and an expanded 10-year Golden Visa Scheme.
Here are the details:
- Tourist visas now allows visitors to stay in the UAE for upto 60 days instead of the usual 30 days.
- With the five-year multi-entry tourist visa, visitors will now get to stay within the UAE for upto 90 days in a row.
- The job exploration visa will allow professionals to seek employment options in the UAE, without need of a sponsor or a host.
- Green Visa holders may now sponsor their family members themselves for duration of their stay. If the permit for a green visa holder expires, they would be granted six months’ time to renew it.
Golden Visa
Under the golden visa, a 10-year expanded residency is offered. Investors, individuals, and entrepreneurs with good talent is eligible for the golden visa.
Such visa holders are allowed to sponsor their family members and children. The family members of golden visa holder will get to stay in the UAE after the holder’s demise until the visa remains valid.
Golden visa holders will also enjoy the benefit of 100 percent ownership of their business. The visas will now remain valid, irrespective of the time the holder spends outside of the UAE.
