UAE – Higher Minimum Salary Required to Sponsor Parents
Effective immediately, the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is requiring that residence visa holders who wish to sponsor their parents or parents-in-law for residence visas must now be earning at least 20,000 AED per month (roughly $5500USD or £3400GBP), which represents double the previous requirement.
Background
According to the new rule, the minimum salary required for applicants who wish to sponsor their parents or parents-in-law for a long-term residence visa is 20,000AED, or 19,000 AED if the applicant can prove they have accommodation with at least two bedrooms.
This is a significant increase from the previous requirement of 9,000 AED per month (or 7,000 AED with suitable accommodation).
Applicants who wish to sponsor a dependent application for a parent or parent-in-law must present a salary confirmation letter or work contract showing that his or her salary meets the new minimum.
There are no other changes to the regulations at this time.
Action Items
- Note that employees may be affected by the new higher salary requirement for sponsoring parents.
- Be aware that the implications for renewals of existing residence visas for parents is as yet unclear.
