The end of 2021 was a game-changer for the entire economy of the UAE due to the Green visa scheme launched by its government. A Green visa is one of the best residency reforms among those the UAE government has brought so far. This new visa scheme is a part of “Projects of the 50”; which outlines the entire roadmap of the country for the next 50 years.
The scheme has been designed to focus on expatriates who want to go to the UAE to grab the best employment opportunity. The Green visa policy is no less than a boon for ex-pats as it opens new doors of opportunities for them.
Thus, it’s an opportunity for specialists and highly skilled ones who can now sponsor themselves without waiting for employers’ sponsorship. Moreover, visa holders can also sponsor their families, including their parents and children aged up to 25 years, irrespective of the minimum salary requirement and rental contract for an apartment. It’s like a feather on the cap! Isn’t it?
Please read the entire article to know the exhaustive details on what a Green visa is, the advantages of the Green pass, how it’s different from the employment and golden visa, and a lot more. So, let’s get started!
What is UAE Green Visa?
As the name depicts the meaning, a Green visa is a Green signal from the UAE government to the most skilled persons and specialists all over the world to attract them to live and work in the UAE. It is a special class of visa announced by the UAE government in September 2021 as a part of the country’s golden jubilee.
The UAE government has launched this Green visa scheme for those who are experts in their field of interest and seeking employment opportunities in the UAE without being sponsored by the employer. Highly skilled expats can now sponsor themselves without depending on their employer company’s sponsorship.
Previously, employers’ sponsorship was compulsory if you wanted to go to the UAE for employment. However, the new visa scheme has changed the entire scenario completely. The Green visa has enabled people to easily work and live in the UAE on their own sponsorship.
Moreover, the grace period in this new visa scheme is 180 days. So, a person can stay in the UAE for up to 180 days under the new scheme, even after losing his job. The grace period for the Green visa is far more than that of any other class of visa in UAE. So, it is one of the best parts of the scheme.
The golden visa scheme lets its holders enjoy self-residency status for 5 years; the same applies to the Green visa holders, too. So now, let’s talk about the Green visa UAE eligibility. The new visa scheme is eligible for investors, entrepreneurs, business owners, cognoscente, experts, highly skilled in single or multiple areas of interest, top achievers, and students who truly want to do something great for their careers.
Objectives of Green Visa UAE
We are aware of the UAE’s huge dependency on oil and gas resources for decades. But now, the UAE government doesn’t want to rely on a single source of income and has started diversifying its income sources due to unstable oil prices.
UAE has also started defining various social and economic strategies that will assist the country’s growth in the long run. The New visa scheme is also a part of the measures undertaken by the UAE to attract expats and foreign currencies.
The primary aims of the UAE government behind this mesmerizing Green visa scheme are to:
- Diversify the country’s income by decreasing its dependency on the oil sector.
- Entice more and more talent from all over the world
- Make the country the best destination to live and work
- Develop the private sector by creating more employment opportunities
- Encourage sustainable development of the country
Benefits of Getting a UAE Green Visa
To allure talents all across the globe, the UAE government has launched the Green visa policy that brings numerous advantages. Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of having a UAE Green visa:
- No requirement for sponsorship from the national sponsor or employer. Freedom from the dependency on the employers’ sponsorship and the opportunity of independently working in the UAE.
- The opportunity of sponsoring parents and children aged up to 25 years
- More than one bank account opening facility
- Ease of travel
- Enough time to search for new job opportunities during the grace period of 180 days after the previous employment termination
- The benefit of 5 years residency status
- To make the country a hub of talent and the best human resources.
Primary Difference Between Green Visa & Employment Visa in UAE
Before the Green visa scheme, employment or work visas sponsored by the employer were the only way to enter the country. But the employment visa entails certain limitations as compared to the Green visa. Green visa has expanded the scope of employment visas. An employment visa is issued along with the sponsorship of the UAE national or employer to the one who wants to expand their career growth.
Green visa completely offers freedom to those who are actually talented and seeking the best employment opportunities in the UAE. It means that the person having a Green visa can enter, live, and work in the UAE through self-sponsorship.
When the government didn’t introduce the Green visa, expatriates had to obtain an employment visa to get residency status. If not, they had to find another job or leave the country. But the Green visa has overcome all the negative aspects of the existing visa scheme. Now Green visa holders can get a 5-year residency status, and there is no need to leave the country.
Green visa has also removed the restriction for widows, freelancers, and divorced people. Moreover, entrepreneurs can also visit the UAE for a 6 months business trip; however, it was only 3 months previously. In addition, students above 15 years who want work experience in the UAE can also obtain a Green visa.