Dubai’s immigration authority has released a policy circular outlining exactly which relatives foreign residents may now sponsor for residency permits. The update—classed as a final rule by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)—confirms four dependent categories: husbands, children under 25, unmarried daughters of any age, and children of determination with no age cap. Crucially, the regulation gives women and men identical sponsorship rights, allowing female professionals to sponsor their spouses on the same terms long enjoyed by male expatriates. All sponsored family members must share the principal resident’s address, and standard income and housing-size thresholds continue to apply. Immigration lawyers say the clarification removes grey areas that have generated conflicting advice at typing centres. Companies that rely on dual-career couples also welcome the change, noting that equal sponsorship rights help attract highly skilled women to the UAE labour market. From a compliance perspective, HR managers should update on-boarding checklists and ensure health-insurance benefits align with the broader family definition. The GDRFA has not set a separate effective date, meaning the guidance is live; pending applications will be assessed under the new framework. While the update is Dubai-specific, practitioners expect Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates to mirror the language soon, creating nationwide consistency in family-migration rules.
Source: UAE-China Chamber of Commerce
