UAE Visa Reforms Permit 180-day Grace Period for Foreign Nationals Upon Job Loss

The Minister of State for Foreign trade has advised that the UAE is “relaxing the grace period one gets to leave the country after being made redundant.” Instead of the previous 30 days, foreign national residents in the UAE will have up to 6 months in the country to find a new position. The measure aims to enhance the country’s competitiveness in the labor market and create greater stability for existing residents.

The UAE is implementing this key legislative change as part of “Projects of the 50” to restructure the entry and residency system, to reinforce the UAE’s position as an ideal destination for work, investment, entrepreneurship, education and life. In addition to the extension in the grace period upon job loss or retirement, other specific regulatory changes include:

• Extension of business trip permits from 3 months to 6 months
• Sponsorship of parents under the visa of direct family members
• One-year residency extension for humanitarian cases
• Extension of children’s age limit on parents’ residency from 18 to 25 years

For further information on UAE entry and residency requirements, please contact the Sterling Lexicon immigration team.