Dubai: If a man sponsors his stepchildren their residence visas will be valid only for one year.
The visa can be renewed annually and sponsor has to put up a Dh5,000 deposit for each child. The deposit has to be paid at the Naturalisation and Residency Department and will be returned on cancellation of the visa.
Before applying visa for stepchildren, you need to first check at the department if the application will be approved as questions regarding guardianship of the children must be addressed and cleared.
The application will first have to be approved by the director-general of the department.
Approval
The question of custody of children must be approved by the court in the mother's country and also by the UAE Embassy and Foreign Ministry in her home country. The mother must show proof that she has legal custody of her children from her former husband.
The man who wishes to sponsor his wife's son or daughter must submit to the department a no objection letter from the father of the children that he agrees that his son or daughter can be sponsored by their stepfather who lives in the UAE.
The letter must be approved and be legally binding and should be signed by the proper authority in the child's home country. It should also be approved by the UAE Embassy in the country of the child and also by the foreign ministry.
The father or the child or the guardian must state in the letter that he does not have any objection to the son or daughter shifting to the UAE and being sponsored by their stepfather.
If the father of the child is dead and the mother remarried, the grandparents or relatives of the child must give the no-objection letter in accordance with the law in their own country.
All documents must be official, legal and approved from the concerned authorities.
If the former husband of the wife or his family members are living in the UAE, the wife should obtain proof of custody from the court and a no-objection letter from the father of her children or from his family or their legal guardians.
To do list
Documents needed
- A woman cannot sponsor her former husband's children unless she falls in the category who can sponsor her own family, such as a working mother.
- The Naturalisation and Residency Department can allow her to sponsor her stepson or stepdaughter on humanitarian grounds which is decided by the head of the department.
- If the sponsored child is under 18 years, the application must include the birth certificate in addition to all needed documents.
- All children must go to school if they are of school age and should be enrolled in an educational institution.
- If the sponsored stepson is over 18 years, you need to submit a certificate from an authorised education institution here.
- If you wish to sponsor your stepdaughter and she is over 18 years, she should be enrolled in an authorised educational institution here and that educational institution must approve that.
- To sponsor stepchildren, the man's salary must be over Dh6,000 including accommodation.
- Papers needed are copy of the sponsor's passport; salary certificate; labour contract.
- The stepfather should also submit a document saying that he will financially support the children. It should be attested by his embassy here and the foreign ministry in his country.
- Fees for the resident visa is Dh300 for each child.
