Col. Saeed Matar bin Bleilah, Director General of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) said the department has permitted expatriate workers to sponsor their parents on residence visa.

The move has been taken on humanitarian grounds as from April 1, Bleilah added.

"Parents can be sponsored on residence visas for one year renewable, provided that a sponsor pays Dh5,000 for each parent as a deposit and takes a health insurance policy from a private company. The deposit is paid once and will be refunded when a parent leaves the country for good or dies," he said.

Explaining the procedure he said: "A sponsor will not be required to renew the health insurance when applying for renewal of the visa.

"The DNRD has started receiving applications for sponsoring parents since April 1. Applicants should spell out the grounds on which they want to call their parents in the UAE.

"An expatriate should earn a salary that meets the criteria laid down by the Cabinet and has worked in the country for a long time. He should also be a sole supporter of his parents.

"If the DNRD approves these grounds given by the applicant, it will grant a visa," he said. He said the number of applications received by the department, for sponsoring parents is still small.

An applicant must submit a certificate from his embassy or the consulate proving that he is the sole supporter of his parents and the circumstances of the family, a salary certificate from the employer and a photocopy of the passport.