Important Updates
Important Updates
July 14, 2025 | TaiwanTaiwan: New Rules Extending Visa-Free Entry and Simplified Visa Regulations Introduced
July 14, 2025 | Thailand Thailand: Mandatory Online Registration for Companies Using the Single Window System
July 14, 2025 | United StatesBusiness Standard: 11 Million US Visa Backlog Crushes Indian H-1B, Green Card Dreams: Decoded
July 14, 2025 | DenmarkDenmark: Positive Lists for Graduates and Skilled Workers Updated
July 14, 2025Partner Marius Tollenaere Elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group
July 14, 2025 | TaiwanTaiwan: New Rules Extending Visa-Free Entry and Simplified Visa Regulations Introduced
July 14, 2025 | Thailand Thailand: Mandatory Online Registration for Companies Using the Single Window System
July 14, 2025 | United StatesBusiness Standard: 11 Million US Visa Backlog Crushes Indian H-1B, Green Card Dreams: Decoded
July 14, 2025 | DenmarkDenmark: Positive Lists for Graduates and Skilled Workers Updated
July 14, 2025Partner Marius Tollenaere Elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group
July 14, 2025 | TaiwanTaiwan: New Rules Extending Visa-Free Entry and Simplified Visa Regulations Introduced
Subscribe
Fragomen.com home
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
Search Fragomen.com
  • Our Services
    For EmployersFor IndividualsBy IndustryCase Studies
  • Our Tech & Innovation
  • Our People
  • Our Insights
    Worldwide Immigration Trends ReportsMagellan SeriesImmigration AlertsEventsMedia MentionsFragomen NewsBlogsPodcasts & Videos
  • Spotlights
    Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump AdministrationTravel & Mobility Considerations: Situation in the Middle EastImmigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance RoadmapHumanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)Vietnamese ImmigrationAustralian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa
  • About Us
    About FragomenOfficesResponsible Business PracticesFirm GovernanceRecognition

Our Services

  • For Employers
  • For Individuals
  • By Industry
  • Case Studies

Our Tech & Innovation

  • Our Approach

Our People

  • Overview / Directory

Our Insights

  • Worldwide Immigration Trends Reports
  • Magellan Series
  • Immigration Alerts
  • Events
  • Media Mentions
  • Fragomen News
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts & Videos

Spotlights

  • Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump Administration
  • Travel & Mobility Considerations: Situation in the Middle East
  • Immigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance Roadmap
  • Humanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)
  • Vietnamese Immigration
  • Australian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa

About Us

  • About Fragomen
  • Offices
  • Responsible Business Practices
  • Firm Governance
  • Recognition
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
  • Insights

New Conditions Announced for Some Long-Term Residence Permits

November 28, 2018

insight-news-default

Country / Territory

  • United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

The situation

The Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates announced new conditions for the issuance of long-term residence permits for investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, specialists, owners of leading internationally-recognized companies, foreign nationals with exceptional talents and outstanding students.

A closer look

The new categories and specific conditions for each category are as follows:

  • Five-year residence permits. A five-year residence permit will be available to the following categories of foreign nationals:
    • Investors in the UAE real estate market, provided that the value of a property is not less than AED 5 million;
    • Entrepreneurs with a project approval from an accredited business incubator in the United Arab Emirates;
    • Entrepreneurs who had a previous project in the UAE worth a minimum of AED 500,000;
    • Exceptional students with a grade of at least 95% in public and private secondary schools and those with a grade point average of at least 3.75 after graduating from a university (in the United Arab Emirates or overseas);
    • Spouses and children of the above-listed investors and entrepreneurs as well as family members of exceptional students; and
    • Joint business partners and up to three executive directors of the qualifying entrepreneurs listed above.
       
  • Ten-year residence permits.  A ten-year residence permit will be available to the following categories of foreign nationals:
    • Investors in public investment projects or those investing through an established company or a business partnership, with a minimum investment value of AED 10 million (which cannot come through loans), provided that the investment in real estate assets does not exceed 40% of the total investment;
    • Scientists, doctors, specialists and owners of leading internationally-recognized companies;
    • Foreign nationals with exceptional talents and researchers in the field of science and knowledge;
    • Foreign nationals with exceptional talents in the field of culture and art;
    • Spouses and children of the above listed categories; and
    • Joint business partners (under specific conditions), one executive director and one advisor of qualifying investors as well as entrepreneurs with five-year residence visas, subject to meeting certain visa conditions.
       
  • Additional conditions for select categories. In order to qualify for the long-term residence permit, foreign nationals, including scientists and doctors, will have to meet additional requirements, specific to each category of an applicant, including the following: 
    • Holding a PhD from one of the top 500 universities in the world;
    • Having an exceptional talent documented by patents or scientific research published in world-class journals;
    • Membership in an organization that requires exceptional skills to accept the membership;
    • Accreditation by the Emirates Scientists Council; or
    • Specialization in a field that the UAE government considers an area of priority.

Impact

Eligible foreign nationals will benefit from longer visa validity that will potentially reduce the procedural burden on UAE visa applicants. Long-term visas are expected to attract talented foreign nationals to the United Arab Emirates.

Background

Some of these initial conditions were announced in May, but the new announcement increases the number of categories eligible for long-term residence permits and provides additional details on eligibility criteria. The creation of the long-term residence permit system is meant to create an attractive business environment for foreign nationals.

Similar trends in other countries

Other countries also offer advantages to foreign nationals in specialized fields. For example, in the United Kingdom, doctors and other medical workers were recently removed from the foreign worker quota and a start-up visa route for entrepreneurs will provide a faster entry process for qualifying entrepreneurs. Also, in Thailand, the SMART Visa program offers qualified executives, investors and startup entrepreneurs greater benefits as compared to the Long-Term Visa.

Looking ahead

The Cabinet is expected to announce additional details of the new law, including the implementation date, in the coming weeks. Fragomen will provide updates as soon as they are available.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

Country / Territory

  • United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions

Business Standard: 11 Million US Visa Backlog Crushes Indian H-1B, Green Card Dreams: Decoded

Partner Blake Miller discussed how US immigration processing delays may create challenges for work authorization, travel and workforce planning.

Learn more

Fragomen news

Partner Marius Tollenaere Elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group

Partner Marius Tollenaere is elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group.

Learn more

Blog post

Policy Reform Proposal: Granting Automatic Employment Authorization to Spouses of Work Visa Holders in South Africa

Director Johannes Tiba explores the proposal to grant automatic employment authorization to spouses of work visa holders in South Africa.

Learn more

Media mentions

The National: UAE Golden Visa Explained: From Nomination to Investment and Who is Eligible

UK: Partner Haider Hussain clarifies that UAE Golden Visa applications must go through official government channels, warning against unauthorised fees and misinformation.

Learn more

Media mentions

Games Industry: What the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and Immigration White Paper Mean for the UK Games Industry

Director Laurence Keir-Thomas outlines how recent changes to UK immigration and industrial policy may affect talent planning and hiring across the games sector.

Learn more

Video

Grace Period for Submission of Documents for Temporary Residence Permits Eliminated in Portugal | #MobilityMinute

In this Mobility Minute, Senior Consultant Ada Plant discusses how Portugal's Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) no longer accepts incomplete temporary residence applications.

Learn more

Awards

Partner Julia Onslow-Cole Named to Citywealth Leaders List 2025

Partner Julia Onslow-Cole is named to the prestigious Citywealth Leaders List 2025, which recognises leading professionals in wealth management and private client services.

Learn more

Media mentions

The Irish Times: AI Technologies Being Used in Effort to Reduce Risk of Fraud in Immigration Process

Partner Ángel Bello Cortés discusses how Ireland’s Department of Justice is rolling out AI tools to reduce fraud risks in the immigration process.

Learn more

Media mentions

Business Insider: How Trump's Immigration Crackdown is Reshaping Financial Industry Hiring, Travel, and Dealmaking

Partner Isha Atassi discusses the impact of immigration policy changes on financial firms’ global mobility and workforce planning.

Learn more

Blog post

Charting a Course: Securing Space-Sector Talent Amid UK Immigration Reforms

Director Laxmi Limbani discusses strategies for securing talent in the UK space sector amid recent immigration reforms.

Learn more

Blog post

2025 APAC and Europe Immigration Trends: Shared Goals, Diverging Tools

This blog highlights the most significant immigration trends across both Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2025.

Learn more

Video

Canada Express Entry Explained: Who’s Eligible and How to Apply

In this video, Partner Jack Kim explains how Canada’s Express Entry system works.

Learn more

Media mentions

Business Standard: 11 Million US Visa Backlog Crushes Indian H-1B, Green Card Dreams: Decoded

Partner Blake Miller discussed how US immigration processing delays may create challenges for work authorization, travel and workforce planning.

Learn more

Fragomen news

Partner Marius Tollenaere Elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group

Partner Marius Tollenaere is elected to the Executive Committee of the German Bar Association's Migration Law Working Group.

Learn more

Blog post

Policy Reform Proposal: Granting Automatic Employment Authorization to Spouses of Work Visa Holders in South Africa

Director Johannes Tiba explores the proposal to grant automatic employment authorization to spouses of work visa holders in South Africa.

Learn more

Media mentions

The National: UAE Golden Visa Explained: From Nomination to Investment and Who is Eligible

UK: Partner Haider Hussain clarifies that UAE Golden Visa applications must go through official government channels, warning against unauthorised fees and misinformation.

Learn more

Media mentions

Games Industry: What the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and Immigration White Paper Mean for the UK Games Industry

Director Laurence Keir-Thomas outlines how recent changes to UK immigration and industrial policy may affect talent planning and hiring across the games sector.

Learn more

Video

Grace Period for Submission of Documents for Temporary Residence Permits Eliminated in Portugal | #MobilityMinute

In this Mobility Minute, Senior Consultant Ada Plant discusses how Portugal's Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) no longer accepts incomplete temporary residence applications.

Learn more

Awards

Partner Julia Onslow-Cole Named to Citywealth Leaders List 2025

Partner Julia Onslow-Cole is named to the prestigious Citywealth Leaders List 2025, which recognises leading professionals in wealth management and private client services.

Learn more

Media mentions

The Irish Times: AI Technologies Being Used in Effort to Reduce Risk of Fraud in Immigration Process

Partner Ángel Bello Cortés discusses how Ireland’s Department of Justice is rolling out AI tools to reduce fraud risks in the immigration process.

Learn more

Media mentions

Business Insider: How Trump's Immigration Crackdown is Reshaping Financial Industry Hiring, Travel, and Dealmaking

Partner Isha Atassi discusses the impact of immigration policy changes on financial firms’ global mobility and workforce planning.

Learn more

Blog post

Charting a Course: Securing Space-Sector Talent Amid UK Immigration Reforms

Director Laxmi Limbani discusses strategies for securing talent in the UK space sector amid recent immigration reforms.

Learn more

Blog post

2025 APAC and Europe Immigration Trends: Shared Goals, Diverging Tools

This blog highlights the most significant immigration trends across both Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2025.

Learn more

Video

Canada Express Entry Explained: Who’s Eligible and How to Apply

In this video, Partner Jack Kim explains how Canada’s Express Entry system works.

Learn more

Stay in touch

Subscribe to receive our latest immigration alerts

Subscribe

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Have a question?

Contact Us
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

© 2025 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Please note that the content made available on this site is not intended for visitors / customers located in the province of Quebec, and the information provided is not applicable to the Quebec market. To access relevant information that applies to the Quebec market, please click here.