UAE Golden, Green visas: New partnership to speed up employee relocation

Agreement with San Francisco-based startup to fast-track issuance of residencies

Sahim Salim

Published: Thu 30 Jun 2022, 3:14 PM

A San Francisco-based startup has partnered with the UAE government to fast-track the issuance of residencies, including the long-term Golden Visas, for expatriate employees.

Deel, a payroll and onboarding company, said the agreement will ensure "faster employment visas for tech workers and streamlined residencies".

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"This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind solution to speed up worker relocation," Deel said.

How it works

The strategic partnership with the UAE Office for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications aims to enable Deel's built-in platform, support, and customer base for remote work employees moving to the UAE.

The two visa categories the company's customers will have faster access to include the Golden and Green Visas. UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residency granted to highly skilled workers and professionals. It is a 10-year self-sponsored residency with automatic renewal, no maximum number of support service labourers, residence for family members including spouse and children, and no nullification of visa for any duration of stay outside the UAE.

The UAE Green Visa consists of various flexible arrangements, including a one-year self-sponsored remote work residence and a five-year self-sponsored freelancer residence for the self-employed.

Deel said it has also built a "network of partnerships" to facilitate flights and accommodation. "The company is providing customers with health insurance and 24/7 live hotline support to help them with fast mobility and onboarding."

Over the past few years, the UAE's Office for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications has launched various initiatives to attract digital talent and innovative companies to the country. The government has pledged to double the size of its digital economy contribution to non-oil GDP by 2031 through a multitude of strategic initiatives, one of which is by attracting the best digital talent and remote workers to the UAE.

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The startup quoted Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, as saying that the UAE adopts emerging technologies and enables skilled talents to achieve the UAE centennial 2071 vision of digital transformation.

"To accelerate the digital development in the region, we have to adopt innovative approaches in work models, and continue developing the systems and practices of remote work. Applying remote work in government and private sectors as one of the primary work models reflects the flexibility of the government and its determination to adapt and develop with the unprecedented ventures of the digital economy."

Deel's co-founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz said the company's vision is to give anyone in the world the opportunity to work for amazing companies. "Partnering with the UAE brings us one step closer to realizing that vision."