UAE immigration experts reject viral claims of ‘1-year freelance residency visa’

 

Several social media personalities have attempted to post misinformation this past week stating that the UAE has just introduced a ‘one-year freelance residency visa’ which would enable their bearers to live and work in the UAE as well as transfer from company to company as they please; however, typing center agents and immigration lawyers have debunked those rumors.

“What people are now calling the one-year residency visa is the virtual work visa the UAE offered to facilitate residency for such workers”, said David Ck of businessmen services company Multy Hands Businessmen Services.

“This requires the person to come up with documentation showing that he or she works remotely for a company that is located outside the UAE and that he or she has a monthly income of roughly Dh, 13,000.”

Earlier, some social media influencers shared videos asserting that people coming to the UAE can apply for this one-year residency visa just by presenting their passport. They boasted that this would allow employees seeking employment to freely do so and freelance as well as change employers without having to use the visa sponsored by the company.

“It is these fake typing centers and visa providers who produce such advertisements” , said David.

Not allowed

Other experts said that some of the people who got the so-called ‘one-year residence visas’ could not travel to the UAE.

This has been what one individual who hired the local fraud typing center with a view to obtaining one year remote work visa using fake documents only to be turned back after being denied entry into the country, noted Noushad Hassan of Alhind Business Centre.

“It was very easy for the immigration officials to conclude that the documents were forged and when the said person arrived in UAE from India he was deported right back to the country he came from on the same flight.”

On this, Noushad was of the opinion that such occurrences could in fact have adverse effects in the long-run. Such visas are used he stressed, because individuals want to enter the UAE and engage in work or business. “However, to forge documents and get nabbed would mean they could never be ever able to try and set foot in the country again.”

Remote work visas explained

The UAE Cabinet only ratified the remote work visa scheme last year, 2021, with the goal to allow employees globe-trotting to work in the country. Since then, it has inspired many remote workers from around the globe to establish bases in the UAE. Documents required by those willing to apply for this visa should show that the applicant works for an organization located outside the UAE and receives a monthly wage of not less than $3,500 or its equivalent in any currency.

Dubai’s ‘virtual working’ programme also offers visas to those wishing to work remotely and those looking to reside in the emirate. Remote workers also need to present a certificate of employment, and the monthly salary should be at least $5,000 (approximately Dh18,000), and present the salary slip of the previous month, as well as bank statements for the past three months.

The company owners must prove that they own the company for a period of one year or more; prove that the company earns an average of $ 5,000 per month; the Company owners be in a position to present the bank statements for the Company account for