UAE to allow expats to sponsor families on income rather than job title

Expat workers in the UAE will be allowed to sponsor their family members in the country based on income rather than their profession, according to a new government decision.

The UAE Cabinet adopted a decision to amend the provisions of regulation governing the sponsoring of expats sponsoring family members in the country.

The amendment states that “income” is now the main requirement for sponsoring family members, as opposed to the previously listed “professions”.

“The decision aims at enhancing family stability of foreign workers and social cohesion, as well as attracting highly skilled workers while maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal life,” a statement from the Cabinet said.

The Cabinet decision has “called on relevant government entities to conduct studies to assess and enhance the services provided to residents, including aspects of education and health, and encourage the active participation of their family member in the job market as an alternative to recruiting new workers from abroad, within the existing policies and regulations”, the statement added.

The UAE Cabinet approves new facilitation for expats sponsoring family members and reaffirms UAE’s position as a hub for talents and the land of opportunities. #UAEGov pic.twitter.com/SFPI8TSDkI

— UAEGov (@uaegov) March 31, 2019

The statement did not reveal the required income levels for a resident to their families to the country.

At present, a man must earn a monthly salary of atleast Dhs4,000 or Dhs3,000 plus accommodation to sponsor his family while a woman has to make a minimum of Dhs10,000 per month to bring her family to the country.

Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, stated that the decision “will improve the family lives and social ties of private sector workers”, official news agency WAM reported.

He also stressed that the move will “increase productivity” in the labour market, “support the national economy, and improve the performance of workers within a comprehensive environment that will integrate the entire community”.

The UAE currently hosts residents from over 200 nationalities and their rights are “safeguarded by national legislation”, Al Hamli added.