New UAE work permit launched for men on family sponsorship

Expat men who are sponsored by their families in the UAE will now be allowed to work, according to a new rule implemented by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

Work permits will now cover husbands sponsored by their wives, sons sponsored by their parents as well as older men sponsored by their children.

The ministry said on Saturday that it has started issuing work permits to employers who wish to recruit eligible male workers sponsored by their families.

The move is in implementation of a resolution issued recently by Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, regarding regulations on granting of work permits.

Saif Ahmed Al Suwaidi, the ministry’s undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs, said: “The resolution aims to provide stability to families by enabling them to increase their source of monthly income.”

The UAE already grants work permits to women sponsored by a parent or spouse.

The move is hoped to help local companies meet their recruitment demand within the resident population and help them reduce operational costs, a statement said.

According to the resolution, the new fee for a two-year work permit for a skilled or limited skilled worker is Dhs300 for all categories of firms under the ministry’s group classification.

Previously, the fee was in the range of Dhs300 to Dhs5,000 depending on the firm category and the skill-level of workers.

In early July, the ministry slashed the fees for 145 services and transactions by between 50 to 94 per cent.

Al Suwaidi confirmed that the fees will have to be paid by the employer.

The UAE has announced several changes to its residency visa system in the past few months.

Last month, it was also announced that UAE residents can renew the residency visas of their 18-year-old dependents for up to two consecutive years.

The residence permit is valid for a year and can be renewed for an additional year, the ICA said.

Read: UAE residence visas for dependents over 18 can now be renewed