UAE unveils new ‘Green Visas’ to attract foreigners
- ‘Green Visa’ holders will be able to work without company sponsorship, can sponsor parents and children
- Foreigners in the UAE usually have renewable visas valid for only a few years tied to employment
The United Arab Emirates has announced a new class of visas, the latest step in a series of moves aimed at attracting talent and boosting growth.
“Green Visas” will allow expatriates to apply for work without being sponsored by an employer, targeting investors and highly skilled workers as well as top students and graduates. Green visa holders will be able to sponsor their parents and children up to the age of 25 on their permits.
“It targets highly skilled individuals, investors, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, as well exceptional students and postgraduates,” said Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani al-Zeyoudi.
The government also said it would allow people who’ve lost their jobs to remain in the country for up to 180 days, a major incentive as most visas are tied to employment contracts. And in an effort to loosen the job market, it’s allowing for the hiring of temporary workers above the age of 15.
Foreign residents make up more than 80 per cent of the population of the UAE and have been a mainstay of the economy for decades, doing most private sector jobs and spending their money on property or shopping in some of the world’s largest malls.
In 2019, the UAE launched the 10-year “Golden visa” to attract wealthy individuals and highly skilled workers, the first such scheme in the Gulf.
Similar programmes have since been launched in other resource-rich Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Riyadh said in June 2019 that it will offer permanent residency for 800,000 riyals (US$213,000) and a one-year renewable residency costing 100,000 riyals, allowing expats to do business and buy property without a Saudi sponsor.
Doha also flung open its property market to foreigners, with a scheme giving those buying homes or stores the right to longer-term or permanent residency permits.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
