Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s new visa rules, which offers many facilities, including the renewable 5-year Green Residence visa, will come into effect on Monday October 3, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) has confirmed on Friday that the new Advanced Visa System will come into effect on October 3, 2022.
The new updated visa system involves streamlined processes, controls and procedures, and new facilities that support the authority’s approach to providing pioneering services and meet the future needs of all categories of foreigners and residents.
The Advanced Visa System is a significant restructuring of the country’s current immigration policy and aims to boost the number of residents. It comprises many residency types and the addition of new ones to cover all segments of investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, specialists, high-achieving students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers, frontline workers and skilled labour in all fields, in addition to streamlining procedures, Wam reported on Friday.
Green Visa
The fresh visa policies offer many features, including a renewable five-year Green Residence Visa, which also permits its holders to get residence permits for family members and flexible grace period of up to six months to stay in the country after expiry or cancellation of residence visa.
The UAE’s Green visa is a type of residence visa, that allows its holder to sponsor himself/herself for five years, eliminating the need of a UAE national or employer to sponsor his/her visa.
The Green visa provides more benefits to family members, compared to the regular residence visa. Benefits include getting residence permits easily for family members, including spouse, children and first-degree relatives, the ability to sponsor their male children up to 25 years (previously 18 years), with no age limit for unmarried daughters, children of determination (those with special needs) are granted a residence permit, regardless of their age, longer flexible grace periods that reach up to 6 months to stay in the UAE after the residence permit is cancelled or expired. It will be granted to three categories including freelancers/self-employed people, skilled employees, and investors or partners.
Job Exploration Visa
The UAE has also introduced a visa for exploring job opportunities and another visa for exploring investment and business opportunities without the need to a sponsor or host inside the country.
Golden Visa
The Advanced Visa System offers new advantages to Golden Visa holders, which include the visa remaining valid regardless of how much time the holder spends outside the UAE, removing the limit on the number of sponsored domestic labourers, in addition to enabling family members to stay in the country during the visa’s validity period even after the sponsor (holder of the golden visa) dies.
Easy renewal
The new visa system also allows entry into the country for an array of purposes with flexible visit periods and easy renewal for up to one year, without a sponsor requirement, enabling visitors and job seekers to achieve their ambitions. (with inputs from Wam)
