Men sponsored by their wives eligible for a UAE work permit now

Adding another amendment to the UAE’s new family sponsorship policy, government officials have confirmed that men sponsored by their wives, daughters or mothers can get a UAE work permit and seek employment. The new UAE work permit rule for men will not only allow more families to think of the long term potential of UAE, but it will also offer employers a wider talent pool to choose from. This will support companies looking to reduce operational costs as employers won’t have to depend on recruiting from overseas and can offer work permits for men in the UAE sponsored by wives, mothers or daughters.

Effective from 28th July 2019, men in the UAE who are sponsored by their family can seek employment. Companies can apply for a labour card for them, similar to the procedure followed for wives and daughters sponsored by husbands and fathers respectively. Traditionally, husbands, fathers and sons over a certain age had to be under the company’s visa to be employed. Even for a temporary working permit in the UAE, this was mandated. 

This new announcement is in line with the recent changes to the UAE work permit fees, which saw some services being reduced by 50%. Such moves help organisations sustain their businesses in a more profitable fashion. This rule will apply to all the different types of work permit visa in UAE.

Let’s take a look at some of the questions pertaining to this new announcement and see how this new UAE work permit rule for men will benefit professionals in the city. 

What are the conditions for men to be sponsored by their wife in the UAE? 

As per recent news reports, Dr Omar Al Naimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Communication and International Relations at the Ministry Of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MoHRE), has said that the new UAE work permit rule “allows women working in the UAE to bring their family members and sponsor them, irrelevant of their professions”. There will be a minimum salary requirement for women to sponsor their family members. This change to work permit and residence visa UAE rules will help both companies and families. 

Bear in mind that all men sponsored by their families can get UAE work permit now without being on the company visa. This includes fathers sponsored by daughters, sons sponsored by mothers and husbands sponsored by wives. 

Companies wanting to hire men sponsored by their families in the UAE can apply for a work permit at any of the MoHRE centres. This rule is also applicable for teenage students, who can now get internships and training jobs while being sponsored by their mothers. 

If you are wondering about how to get a work permit in the UAE, it is obtained by the company based on the rules defined by the MoHRE. The main change to UAE work permit requirements is that men too can now get one while being sponsored by their families. 

What were the family sponsorship rules pertaining to labour cards and work permits in the UAE?

Up until this announcement was formalised, only wives and daughters sponsored by their husbands or fathers could get work permits. Men could not work unless they had a company or investor visa or freelance permit. 

If you are keen on bringing your family, it would be a good idea to read up on the updated family visa UAE requirements. Now with men becoming eligible for work permits under family sponsorship, there will be more stability for expat families. In the past, if a husband lost the job, he had to depend on companies which could offer a visa. This will widen the pool of options when it comes to finding jobs in the UAE for men. Companies too can rely on latent talent locally instead of looking to outsource from abroad.

Curious about other new legal announcements from the UAE government? Get to know all about the new Salik gates in Abu Dhabi and the real estate investor visa in the UAE. Stay tuned to MyBayut to hear about all the latest law and regulations in the country. Subscribe to our exclusive newsletter to be the first to know all about the new announcements and attractions.