Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN)– The UAE government announced, within the “Projects of the 50 “, on Sunday, a new path for residency in the country as part of the updates to the Residency Law, along with a package of improvement measures.
The updates included the ” Green Residence Visa ” system that separates the residence permit from the work permit, that the residence permit becomes on the individual or employee and not on the company. These updates target highly skilled people, investors, entrepreneurs, top ranking students and graduates, in addition to the first free residence permit of its kind at the federal level, which is intended for independent freelancers, in addition to updates and other additional privileges to the residence system in the country, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Green Residence Visa
It is a self-residency visa for an individual or employee, through which the residence permit is separated from the work permit. The system targets highly qualified and skilled holders of bachelor’s degrees and higher. It also targets investors, entrepreneurs, top ranking students and graduates. It includes a set of new privileges different from the normal residence visa, such as extending the residency period of children over their families up to 25 years, granting residency to parents, and a period of 90-180 days upon expiry of residency instead of 30 days.
Freelancers Visa
Freelancers Visa, the first of its kind at the federal level, has been introduced. It is intended for independent, freelancers without the need for a work permit and an employment contract.
Legislative and Procedural Improvements
Extending an entry permit for a business visit for a long trip to 6 months instead of 3 months, adding parents within the resident’s residence – residence permit for family members, allowing the extension of the residency permits for humanitarian cases for another additional year to enable the to obtain a job in the country, raising the age of children included in their parents’ residency from 18 years to 25 years, and extending the mandatory period of time to leave the country in the event of job loss or retirement from 90 to 180 days.
New Updates and Categories
Among the most prominent updates on the entry and residence system for foreigners is the creation of categories at the level of self-residency, such as those with highly skilled levels, investors, entrepreneurs, top ranking students and graduates, the creation of the freelancers residence visa for the benefit of independent workers from outside and inside UAE in the new economic fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, future technology, digital currencies and other areas of importance. Meanwhile, the scope of the Golden Residence was expanded to include managers, CEOs, and specialists in science, engineering, health, education, business administration, technology and other fields, and the necessary improvements were made to the controls and conditions for obtaining the Golden Residence to ensure the provision of the best motivational environment for talented people.
New Facilities
The new system provides an integrated path for the course of highly skilled and specialized residents, investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, talented geniuses, top ranking students and graduates, from entering the UAE to obtaining the golden residence easily.
Multiple categories benefit from the Golden Residence, in addition to the facilities in terms of visitor visas, for the purpose of tourism, treatment, or for the purposes of the visit, or in the event of carrying out a mission of an economic, scientific, or medical nature, or in any field.
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