Middle East: Sponsoring your parents and relatives

Sponsoring your parents

Dubai: Expatriates who have a valid resident visa in UAE can sponsor their parents for a year's stay by paying a Dh5,000 deposit as guarantee for each parent.

But according to new regulations, you cannot sponsor only one of your parents and have to sponsor your father and the mother together, with proof that you are their sole supporter and they have no one to take care of them back home.

If one of your parents has passed away or if you are divorced, you have to show papers to prove that to the Naturalisation and Residency Department, as justification why you want to sponsor only one of your parents.

The son or daughter must also prove he or she is the only supporter of the parents and that there is no one to take care of them back home.
One should apply for the residency visa for parents at the department which issued his or her own resident visa.

The son or the daughter can sponsor the parents or the father and mother-in- law. In order to be able to sponsor your parents or father and mother-in-law, one should have a minimum salary not less than Dh6,000 with accommodation allowance or minimum salary of Dh7,000. They also need to obtain a medical insurance policy for both with a minimum coverage of Dh600 for each, to be renewed each year.

Now besides a medical health check, an HIV test is also needed before applying for the residence visa.
To obtain a residence visa for the parents, one has to show proof to the Naturalisation and Residency Department that there is a humanitarian issue that requires to sponsor them and that the son or daughter are their lone supporters.

The expatriate should also obtain a letter from his or her embassy or consulate certifying that the person is the sole supporter.

The Dh5,000 guarantee deposit will be returned after the parents leave the country and the visa is cancelled or the parent dies.Procedure- The UAE has allowed sponsoring the residency of parents because of ‘humanitarian reasons’ as elderly parents should be taken care of by their children, according to the Interior Ministry.

- Earlier, you could sponsor your parent for a residency visa without having to pay Dh5,000 as refundable guarantee. The new rule implemented few months ago now requires the deposit.
- All expatriates can sponsor their parents but the sponsor’s minimum salary should be Dh6,000, with housing allowance.
- You will now also need a Dh600 medical insurance policy for your parents.
- One can sponsor the father-in-law or mother-in-law, under the same conditions.
- The residence visa for the parents is valid for one year only and should be cancelled or renewed after the end of the validity.
- If you fail to renew or cancel the visa, the parents will be deemed to be illegal overstayers and will have to pay a fine.


Sponsoring a relative to visit

Dubai: Expatriates who have valid residency papers can apply for a visit visa for relatives or friends, but must fulfil certain conditions.

According to the Naturalisation and Residency Department (NRD) law, if the sponsored relative is a female, she should not be less than 25 years of age.

If an expatriate wants to sponsor his wife and children on a visit visa, he should personally apply at the NRD at the emirate which issued him residency visa.

Papers needed
The papers needed are: passport copies of the applicant as well his wife and children, marriage contract attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; attested work contract if working with a private company, or salary certificate if working in the public sector.

The salary of the expatriate should not be less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. The applicant need not pay any deposit. He must get an e-gate card.

The e-form application will cost Dh100; another Dh100 if the visa is needed urgently, as well as Dh10 for delivery of the visa through Empost.

If an expatriate wishes to sponsor his parents on a visit visa, the application must be submitted personally at the NRD. The papers required are passport copies and an attested letter from the embassy proving the relationship.

Also needed are: an attested work contract if the person is working in a private company or a salary certificate if working in the government sector. The minimum salary requirements are the same: not less than Dh3,000 per month with accommodation or Dh4,000 per month without accommodation. No deposit is required, but the applicant must get an e-gate card.

If you are sponsoring a relative, a deposit of Dh2,000 is required and the salary must not be less than Dh5,000 per month with accommodation. But if you are sponsoring a brother or sister, the salary and accommodation allowance should be Dh6,000.

An expatriate can also sponsor two friends on visit at a time, but the salary requirements are higher - not less than Dh10,000 and Dh2,000 refundable deposit for each person which is returned after the friends leave the country. One should keep the receipt safely and present it for the refund.

Ceiling for categories

Some of the monthly salary requirements for sponsoring relatives or friends on a visit visa
-Wife or husband's parents or grandparents. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 and accommodation facility.
-Wife or husband's brothers and sisters and their sons and daughters who are less than 18 years. Salary should be Dh5,000 per month and Dh2,000 as deposit.
-Sister's or brother's sons and daughters. Salary must be Dh6,000 and Dh2,000 deposit for those above 18 years.
-Grandsons under 18 years of age. Salary must be Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility. No deposit is required.
-Adult grandsons. Salary must be Dh6,000 as well as a deposit of Dh2,000.
-Cousin. Salary of Dh8,000 and deposit Dh2,000.
-Wife's minor sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-Wife, sons and daughters. Salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 with accommodation facility.
-A friend. Salary of Dh10,000. One can sponsor only two friends at a time. If there are more, one should justify the reason for the visit of so many friends.


source: Gulf News