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UAE visa reform solves family woes, boosts businesses

Dubai - The new Mohre rule now allows men who are on family sponsorships to obtain work permits.

The husband of Indian expat Deepa Kurian lost his job months ago and has had no luck in finding a new one. The couple believes some firms were willing to hire him but couldn't give him an employment visa. 
With the latest reform rolled out by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), they found hope. 
"Due to cost-cutting reasons, my husband was laid off a few months ago. We believe that one of the reasons he was finding it hard to find suitable employment was because companies in his profession (labour supply) did not want to issue a visa," said Kurian, a nurse in Sharjah.
Read: New UAE work permit rule for men: All you need to know
"He is presently under my sponsorship. Maybe with the new work permit, it is going to be easier for him to find employment."
The new Mohre rule, which took effect on Sunday, now allows men who are on family sponsorships to obtain work permits. 
Previously, these permits were exclusively issued to women who were under the sponsorship of their family. 
Expatriate families and businesses are hailing the decision, calling it a "very progressive reform". 
Expat James Thotatthil, for example, has a 19-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. While he never had any worries about sponsoring his daughter, he couldn't help but think of his son's visa status.
"Now, he can complete his college here and stay under my sponsorship even until he finds employment," Thotatthil said.
Sharon Fernandez, a Dubai-based PR consultant and a mother of two kids aged 15 and 11, said: "I think this is a great move by the government that will help bring more stability and opportunities. It makes life easier. As my kids grow older, they would learn to stand on their own feet."
Muhammed Rehan, a Pakistani national with three children including two sons, was also relieved.
"My oldest son has a visa from the company he works in, and my younger son is still in college. Our family no longer have to worry about sending him home to Pakistan," Rehan said.
Impact on businesses
Businesses are calling the decision a "dynamic move" that could encourage more women to move to the UAE together with their families. 
Dr Sherbaz Bichu, chief executive officer of Aster Hospitals UAE, said: "The implementation of this new resolution opens up new avenues and empowers female professionals to seek jobs in this market, thereby leading to a rise in female talent. This would allow women to be united with their family and even bring their family to the UAE to work." Kamal Vachani, group director of Al Maya Group, said it's bound to "add positivity to the UAE's economy".
"This will result in more families settling in Dubai. There will be population growth, and the economy will witness positive growth. The concept of happiness, which Dubai is promoting, will witness a surge," he said.
Another executive looked at the development as part of a national strategy to ease visa policies and bolster businesses. 
Krishnan Ramachandran, CEO of Barjeel Geojit Financial Services, said: "Over the last few months, a number of measures have been introduced to enable a friendly and hassle-free process to obtain visas.
"The recent announcement enabling men to be sponsored by their wives is yet another proactive step, which will provide a cost-effective channel for employers to recruit from a pool of talent that is locally available. This move is bound to increase the disposable income levels within the family."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com