Dubai: Planning to switch jobs in the UAE? If you are working on an employment visa, and have also sponsored your family in the UAE, you may be wondering how your visa change will affect your family’s visa status.The first thing to note is that as per the UAE’s immigration procedures, if a person’s visa is being cancelled, they would first need to cancel the visa of anyone who is on their sponsorship. So, if your family is under your sponsorship, normally you would first need to cancel their visas, before you can proceed with the process of switching your employment visa to your new employer.However, there is a process of putting your family’s visa ‘on hold’, in such cases, which allows sponsors to complete their visa transfer process before regularising their family’s residence visa.Here is all you need to know about the process and how to apply for it.What is the ‘visa hold’ process for family visas?“A Dubai resident may apply to place the residence files of their sponsored family members on hold where the sponsor needs to cancel or change their own Dubai residence permit, commonly when moving from one employer to another, but wishes to avoid cancelling the dependants’ residence permits during the transition,” Raluca Gatina, Partner and Legal Director at Elnaggar & Partners, told Emirates 24|7.Putting your family’s visa on hold requires sponsors to also put in a financial guarantee or deposit, which is refundable.However, this only works if you are switching jobs within the same emirate, according to Sirajudeen Ummer, Manager of Galaxy Digital Business Services.“If the new employment visa is issued in a different emirate, the visa holding service will not be possible, as family visas can only be held within the same emirate,” Ummer said.How can I put my family’s visa on hold?You can apply for the service through the following platforms:For visas issued in Dubai:General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai website – www.gdrfa.aeThe ‘GDRFA Dubai’ app, which is available for Apple and Android devicesBy visiting an Amer centre. You can find the location of an Amer centre near you, here (https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/en/customer-happiness-centers).For visas issued in other emirates:Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) website – www.icp.gov.ae‘UAE ICP’ smartphone applicationA typing centre registered with the ICPAn ICP Customer Happiness Centre - https://icp.gov.ae/en/customer-happiness-centers/Placing your family’s visa on hold in DubaiDocuments requiredAccording to Gatina, these are the principal documents required for placing the family visa on hold in Dubai:A cancellation form for your own visa.An offer letter from the new employer stating your salary and profession.A remaining validity of at least three months on your dependants’ residence visa.The original passport and original Emirates ID of the dependents.The original passport and original Emirates ID of the sponsor.Payment of the applicable service fee and refundable security deposit.Fees:Warranty Deposit fee (Refundable amount): AED 5,000Each family member’s visa holding fee: AED 100If you apply through an Amer centre, you would also need to pay additional service fees.Process to followVisit an Amer centre or start your application online through the GDRFA website or smartphone application.Submit the required documents.Make the payment for the service fees and the financial deposit. Make sure you keep the receipt or voucher you receive of the payment, as this will be needed later to request for the refund of your deposit.Once your family’s visa is successfully put on hold, you can then proceed with the process of transferring your own visa. This should be completed within a maximum of 60 days.Once you have your visa in place, you then need to apply for the release of the hold, and request for the refund of the financial deposit, by presenting proof of payment.Placing your family’s visa on hold in other emiratesDocuments requiredAccording to Ummer, the documents required to apply for the family visa on hold through the ICP, for all other emirates, are:A copy of the sponsor’s passport, existing residency visa and Emirates ID.Copy of the labour card cancellation.New job offer letter, the new employer’s company immigration card number and company name.A copy of the dependents’ passport, residence visa and Emirates ID.Process to followVisit an ICP centre or start your application online through the ICP website or smartphone application.Submit the required documents.Make the payment for the service fees and the financial deposit. Make sure you keep the receipt or voucher you receive of the payment, as this will be needed later to request for the refund of your deposit.Once your family’s visa is successfully put on hold, you can then proceed with the process of transferring your own visa. This should be completed within a maximum of 60 days.Once you have your visa in place, you then need to apply for the release of the hold, and request for the refund of the financial deposit, by presenting proof of payment. According to Ummer, to apply for the refund of the deposit, you would need to physically visit an immigration centre with the proof of payment.Fees:Warranty Deposit fee (Refundable amount): AED 5,000Total government fee for family hold: Approx. AED 214If you apply through a typing, you would also need to pay additional service fees.Sponsor’s responsibilityAccording to both the experts, as the sponsor of your family’s visa, it is essential that you complete your visa change process within 60 days of putting your family’s visa on hold. In case you fail to regularise your visa within this period, you would forfeit the deposit.
