United Arab Emirates: New Legislation Introduces Significant Changes to Immigration System

Under the new regulations, entry visas will be classified into five main types and are further divided into categories and sub-categories as described below. These visas cater to individuals traveling to the United Arab Emirates for up to one year. Individuals can be self-sponsored or may require a UAE sponsor or a host.

Entry visas in the category of entry visas for work and entry visas for residency without work will allow initial entry for the purpose of residency but will also require that the foreign national changes their immigration status and obtains a residency permit within a specific timeframe.

Under the new regulation, residence permits will be divided into two main types, depending on whether the purpose of stay in the United Arab Emirates is related to work or not. The residence permit will be divided into categories and sub-categories which align with the respective entry visa categories that must be obtained by foreign nationals seeking residency in the country.

Residence permits are for foreign nationals who intend to reside in the United Arab Emirates for a longer period of time and are issued with a validity of up to five years (renewable). They can be self-sponsored or may require a UAE sponsor or a host.

The legislation identifies categories of applicants eligible for the Golden Visa and clarifies related rules and amendments. The Golden Visa is for foreign nationals seeking long-term residency in the United Arab Emirates and is issued with a maximum validity of 10 years. Depending on the circumstances, individuals may require a government nomination before they can apply for a Golden Visa.

• New entry visa categories. The pool of candidates for entry visas will expand. Applicants seeking to apply for these entry visas and employers will benefit from the clarity provided by this legislation on the categories and subcategories as indicated in the table above.
• Residence permit categories. The clarified regulations and categories will encourage more skilled and talented candidates, among others, to consider long-term residency in the United Arab Emirates.
• Golden visa clarifications. Due to the Golden Visa clarifications, the United Arab Emirates is likely to see an influx of investment, business opportunities and contributions from exceptional talent in various fields of arts, culture, science, engineering, sports, healthcare, education, and others, in the future.

• Goals of legislation. Through the new regulations, the UAE government is seeking to facilitate the entry of visitors through new immigration options and to attract a diverse pool of highly qualified foreign nationals. The government originally announced these plans in April 2022. Before these amendments to the country’s immigration system, in most cases, foreign nationals’ residency was tied to a sponsor (typically an employer), and self-sponsored visa options were rare. This also meant that, except in exceptional cases, long-term residency was very limited.
• Continued expansion of Golden Visa. Since the Golden Visa was implemented, there have been several expansions of eligibility and benefits, including making the Golden Visa available to influential individuals.

Fragomen expects that these updates to entry and residence visas will create a diverse and competitive labor market in the United Arab Emirates.

Provisions related to certain categories of entry visas (including the visa issued to residents of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the job seeker visa, and business opportunity exploration visa) lack detailed eligibility requirements. A separate set of forthcoming regulations is expected to address this gap.