No family visa cancellation required for job change in UAE

Hi,am sponsored by my husband and we both have Dubai visa.I came here on 12th December 2011.But now my husband got a new job in Sharjah Airport free zone.so he need to change his visa.How can i hold my visa and do we need to submit 2 bedroom contract.I am looking forward for your detailed valuable advice regarding this as early as possible.
Thank You. 
Mehriya

Answer :

The general immigration practice in the United Arab Emirates requires expats switching employers not only to cancel their own residence visas but also the visas of everyone under their sponsorship, be it spouses, children or housemaids. It is only after cancellation is arranged that expat may apply for the visas sponsored by the new company. General directorate of residency and foreigners affairs (DNRD) residence visas of persons under sponsorship may stay in place and remain valid for the originally determined period of time, regardless of the sponsor’s visa change. The employee or resident must apply to the NRD (before the cancellation procedure) for not cancelling the visas of members of his family or those under his sponsorship. He should attach the 5,000 dirhams bank guarantee, the new employment permit issued by the Ministry of Labour to the new sponsor, and the job offer letter from the new employer. The original passports and deposit is kept by the DNRD until the new visa is issued. This sum can be refunded once the sponsor obtains the new residence permit. Residence permits of family members will be automatically transferred to the sponsor without the need to pay a fee.

Employment contracts of Indian workers to be attested online

Employment contracts of Indian workers will now be attested online, a move which will make the process transparent and safeguard workers' rights, Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, said yesterday.

Workers can review the terms of the contract and approve them before leaving India for the UAE.

Saqr Gobash and Vayalar Ravi look on as Maher O. Badh from the Ministry of Labour (left) and Atul K. Tiwari, joint secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, exchange documents signed between the UAE and India to activate an electronic contract in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

The online validation of the contract will be mandatory for any employer in the UAE, the minister said.

The system was launched yesterday in the presence of Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. It is expected to be fully operational in weeks.

At present, job contracts of Indian workers with an Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) stamp have to be attested by the Indian Protector of Emigrants and the Indian Embassy. The ECR stamp is required for those who have not completed their matriculation.

Agents took advantage of the old system to make separate, fake contracts. The new system is activated by an online application by a UAE employer and requires disclosure of the key terms of the offer.

The system follows an agreement signed by both countries last September.

Sponsor husband in UAE

I want to sponsor my husband, i am accountant and my salary is AED 6,500. Can I sponsor my husband?If yes, do i need to pay a bank guarantee?
Thanks,

Sponsoring your husband ,the Department of Naturalisation and Residency requires the following:

The wife shall be an engineer, doctor or teacher.

The salary shall be either Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 and accommodation.

If the wife job is other than the above listed professions, she shall make a petition to the Department of Naturalisation and Residency to exempt her from this requirement. The said department will decide on this request and pass its resolution of acceptance or rejection. No need of Bank guarantee

Pension plan for expatriates in Dubai by year end-Department of Economic Development Dubai

Dubai has completed a feasibility study for an ambitious pension fund for expatriates and is in touch with relevant departments before launching it by the year end, an official was reported on Sunday as saying.

The Department of Economic Development in Dubai (DED) is working on the project which will cover both public and private sector foreign employees, making Dubai the first city in the region to create a pension fund for expatriates, who do not pay income taxes in Dubai and other emirates.

“We have finished the feasibility study for the project and DED are now consulting with local and federal parties…we are also coordinating with some parties in other emirates and are planning to hold workshops on the project,” said Ali Ibrahim, deputy director general for planning and development at DED.

“You can say the project is nearly ready…once we complete negotiations with other departments, we will seek government approval so the project can be launched by the end of the year,” he told Albayan newspaper.

He said the project would be implemented in stages, adding that it could first cover employees in large companies and public establishments.

He said the first phase would also include companies which already provide pension to its expatriate employees.

Asked whether such fund could involve all UAE, he said:”I think it is better to be implemented on the federal level….after Dubai took the lead in this project, I believe there is now a trend to set up a federal pension fund…this one requires the support of relevant departments, including the Ministry of Labour.”

In a recent statement, DED said the pension fund project is part of several ideas being considered by the Department to spur investment and make Dubai a more attractive place to do business and live.

In a report early this year, Emirat Alyoum Arabic language daily quoted officials and experts as saying the pension fund would give a strong push to the market as it will expand liquidity, boost investor confidence and improve living standards.

“There is no doubt the proposed pension system will ensure financial and social stability and create sufficient guarantees for expatriate workers in the emirate…this will in turn increase confidence in the domestic economy,” said Aref Al Muhairi, executive director of the Dubai Statistics Centre.

“I believe it will also boost domestic liquidity and this will give a push to business in the emirate…as for the sum that will be taken off the salary for the pension fund, I think it will be in line with international levels.”

Muhairi said he did not know whether the fund would be compulsory but added there would be several options for the Dubai government.

“However, I believe that making the fund mandatory will bring many benefits to expatriate workers, reduce their financial disputes and tackle end of service problems…this will contribute to easing pressure on courts….I am confident that this project will be highly successful as is the case in pension funds in many European states.

UAE Student Visa Requirements

The UAE educational system comprises of a variety of academic institutions - Schools, Colleges and Universities. Furthermore, there are several Training Institutes that offer professional qualification and training programs in various fields. Each institution has its own objective, structure, and admission requirements.

There are a few governmental universities and colleges in UAE where admission is restricted to nationals only. However, there are several private institutions where enrolment is open to any student who meets the admission requirements.

A student may enrol in any program of his/her choice. Programs may vary from academic, technical, and professional degree programs in various disciplines, preparing students for careers in research and professional practice in every field.

Enrolling in primary, secondary or high schools a residence visa is required. However, student visas are provided by all colleges and universities and also a few training institutes. Prior to issuance of visa all formalities need to be completed as per the university chosen

Student Visas

To enrol in primary, secondary or high schools a residence visa is required and educational institution may be permitted to make their UAE visa application based on the sponsorship of their parents. This option is available to full-time students.

Students under parent's sponsorship wanting to enrol into tertiary level university, college or institute have the following regulations:

    Sons, below the age of 18 in full-time education can be sponsored by their parents.

    Unmarried daughters of any age can be sponsored by their father (or their mother if she is employed in a high-level profession).

Students attending a tertiary level university, college or institute: Educator-sponsored Dubai study visa

Full-time students can be sponsored by their educational institution if the institution is eligible. This allows them to obtain a UAE study visa for the duration of their course

    Full-time students can be sponsored by the university, college or institute please check with the university, college or institute because not all offer this service.

    Student Residence Visas are normally only valid for 1 year at a time, renewed each year during the study program.

    Documents needed:

•         Passport with at least 6 months validity, the passport must have two blank visa pages (one to endorse the visa and one for entry stamps)
•         Passport copies (about 4)
•         Photographs (about 12)
•         Passport copies (about 2 copies)
•         Upon arrival, passport copies with entry visa to the UAE (about 3 copies)
•         Evidence of acceptance to a UAE tertiary institute (offer letter)
•         Possibly bank statements showing evidence of funds in the UAE
•         Possibly a tenancy agreement (or letter from university if staying in university accommodation)
•         Copy of tuition fee receipt for the current study year of the program
•         Copy of visa fees receipt for the current study year of the program
•         Post-graduate students will need to have their undergraduate degree attested

    Students from some countries will undergo a security check to make sure they are not considered a threat to UAE security.

    A medical test at an authorised UAE medical center (allow AED 350-500) will normally be required. The medical check is a blood test and chest X-ray for HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis (TB), Leprosy, and Syphilis. If results come back positive for any of those conditions, the person is deported, except for syphilis which is treated, but this may change, check with UAE immigration department or UAE Ministry of Health (and keep in mind it's possible to get conflicting reports from them).

Student Residence Visa Fees

    Student Visa Fees vary between universities, colleges and institutions. Varies between 1,000 to 3,000 AED for a one-year student residence visa.

    Some universities, colleges and institutions may require a refundable visa deposit, may vary between 2,000 to 3,000 AED.

    Renewal charges vary between 1,000 to 3,000 AED yearly.

    There might also be differences in fees between different emirates.

    There are also differences depending on if the university is located in a UAE education free zone such as Dubai Academic City or Knowledge Village, or not.

Please check with university, college or institute applying to for up-to-date information.

Visa Validity

     If a student stays out of the UAE for longer than six months, their student residence visa becomes invalid and they will be denied entry to the UAE until it is cancelled. Usually the sponsor will report the visa holder to the immigration authorities.

•     Visas normally take 2-5 weeks to process once all the correct documentation has been supplied.
•     Express visas take 1-3 weeks to process.
•     Cancellation of visa normally takes 1-3 weeks, express cancellation takes 1-2 weeks.