New UAE visa rules offer safety net to widows and divorced women

Amendments allow female residents to continue living and working in the Emirates after death of spouse or breakdown of marriage

Women had previously been required to ask for a judge's permission to renew their visas during divorce proceedings. Pawan Singh / The National

Visa updates announced by the UAE strengthen the rights of female residents and grant them the freedom to continue living and working in the country after a divorce or the death of their husband.

The updates, unveiled by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) on Monday, were praised for alleviating the stress and tension felt by women in these situations by eliminating doubt over their residency status.

The amendments allow a widow or divorced woman to secure her residency within six months of her divorce or the death of her husband, provided she was sponsored by her spouse and remains in the country. Significantly, it also allows widows and divorced women to renew their residency visas without a sponsor.

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“This is a milestone for both widows and divorced women because a visa is one of the most important requirements in this part of the world,” lawyer Bindu Chettur, president of the Indian Business and Professional Council, told The National.

“I handle family dispute cases and the first threat of the husband is to cancel their wife’s visa. There are some matrimonial disputes where a woman is alone after 40 years of family life. This is the best protection for a housewife because she does not have to live with the fear that she will be on the street or must immediately leave the country. With this new rule, it is the woman’s right to continue to live in the UAE.”

Peace of mind

Previously, Ms Chettur said, in divorce cases, lawyers would request the court to allow the woman to renew her visa, but this was at the discretion of the judge.

The changes also benefit families, she added, because women would no longer worry about the disruption hindering her children’s education.

“This gives women the freedom to develop their lives. Divorced women and widows will be encouraged to look for a job or start a business. This is so much more positive than earlier when a change in status made some illegal, needing to pay huge fines,” Ms Chettur said.

“Now a woman has time to decide what she wants to do. She will have peace of mind that her children can complete their education and she can decide to continue her life here. It gives them the chance to thrive in the UAE.”

No longer dependent

Lawyers said the decision lifted pressure on women.

“We have seen cases where women who are totally dependent on their husband, then have to quickly complete bank formalities, manage a property and at the same time, they are under pressure of leaving the country,” said Raka Roy, partner at Galadari Advocates and Legal Consultants.

“Then they are forced to request friends and relatives to sponsor them. This will empower women because she could continue to run her husband’s business or start one of her own. This is not only support on the humanitarian level, it also works on a commercial level.”

The ICP also announced new visa categories for professionals in the artificial intelligence, entertainment, events, cruise ship and leisure boat sectors.

AI specialists will have access to single and multiple entry visas, subject to sponsorship from a host or technology company. The entertainment and events visa is available to those visiting the UAE temporarily for leisure or to attend festivals, conferences, cultural, economic and educational activities.

“The visas for AI experts is part of the government looking to promote it as an industry,” Ms Roy said.

“This works as a starting point – the short term visas are for someone to come speak at a seminar, contribute to a short-term project. It helps them come to the country, look at the opportunities and then they may decide to stay on.”

UAE authorities said the updated rules were based on the results of studies of local and global residency trends, with a focus on improving quality of life and supporting the tech and transport sectors to boost the country’s competitiveness.

“It’s a win-win, because the country will attract quality talent,” Ms Roy said. “This is about the government working constructively to facilitate the entry of people who will contribute to the country.”