Residency visas in the UAE are linked to employment

I live in Saudi Arabia and I am planning on moving to the UAE. If I don't find a job to start with, is it possible to arrange some kind of long-term visa from an authorised place in advance that would give me the opportunity to seek jobs without any time constraints. Or even if I find a job, can I just keep the visa and join whichever workplace without any fear of deportation in case my work contract ends. FK, KSA

Residency visas in the UAE are linked to employment, and it is not possible to obtain any kind of open-ended visa. Even those that are arranged by an employer, a free-zone sponsor or related to the ownership of a property or company are for fixed terms and must be reviewed every two or three years. This does not apply to UAE or GCC nationals, but everyone else requires a visa to both enter the country and to remain here. A few nationalities can obtain limited period visit visas on arrival with everyone else needing to have arranged visas prior to entry. The only other option is to be sponsored by a relative who has residency, but that must be changed if a man takes up employment, at which point he must be sponsored by his employer to remain in the country legally.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 years experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice