On the 7th of November, it was announced that in Abu Dhabi, the original Emirates ID of the application sponsor was now required in support of visa applications for dependent family members.The immigration authorities will scan the original Emirates ID to check whether the sponsor is currently out of the country, and the application will be rejected if the sponsor is not in the UAE at the time of application submission.

Additional updates to visa changes

Meanwhile, the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA) free zone has announced several additional rule changes:

• Instead of collecting entry visas on arrival at the airport, employees will receive e-visas by email. However, this new process has not yet been fully implemented
• Visa holders who need to amend their visa details (e.g. name, nationality, occupation or employer) must now make a separate application, instead of including the amendment in a visa renewal or transfer application
• The DCCA has removed the Internal Visa Transfer option for foreign employees transferring to a new employer within the DCCA. Employees in this situation now need to use the “Government Transfer” option, which requires a medical test and security check test (unlike the Internal Visa Transfer option)
• For in-country employment visa cancellations, original documents no longer need to be submitted physically to DCCA. Scanned copies of requirements will suffice to process the cancellation. Once the application is approved, a cancellation paper will be issued and sent to the company. This is only applicable if the employee is in the country at the time of visa cancellation
• New service fees have been implemented

Advice for visa applications to Abu Dhabi

Sponsors of dependent visa applications in Abu Dhabi should ensure that they are in the UAE at the time the application is submitted.Employers of foreign nationals in the DCCA should take into account the recent changes when planning assignments and resources.For advice and information on immigration to the UAE in general, please email Newland Chase at enquiries@newlandchase.com.This information was provided by, Newland Chase.For related news and features, visit our Immigration section. Look out for the launch of 2018's Relocate Awards, entries open in January. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory  

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