Abu Dhabi: The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP-UAE) has announced amendments to the procedures for regularising the status of residency law violations related to children.
This change allows a head of a family who violates residency laws to transfer the residency of their children to the mother, provided she is employed and holds a valid residency. The Authority confirmed that if the head of the family — a residency violator — wishes to leave the country along with his family.
The family head must apply for exit permits enabling them to depart without fines or fees during the grace period for regularising their status. And, if the father is residency violator and his children want to regularise their status, they may do so through the mother if she is employed. Father can transfer the residency sponsorship to mother if they are employed.
Grace period
In a media statement, the Authority clarified: “Family members are allowed to leave the country or regularise their status as appropriate if the head of the family and their family members are violators. If the head of the family benefits from the service of issuing a visa, the residency of the family members under his sponsorship is not cancelled, provided they are benefiting from the granted grace period.”
The Authority also explained that if the violating worker wishes to remain with their current employer, the employer must apply for a work permit renewal through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization’s channels, in line with established procedures to continue the contractual relationship.
Work permit cancellation
If the current employer seeks to resolve the violating worker’s status by cancelling or reporting work abandonment, they must submit a work permit cancellation service request through the Ministry’s channels or report the work abandonment.
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Should the violating worker wish to work for a new employer, the new employer must apply for a work permit issuance service. If the worker intends to leave, they must apply for an exit permit service through the Authority’s systems. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security urged residency law violators to take advantage of the remaining days of the grace period, which was announced last month and ends on October 31st.
The goal of the grace period is to create a flexible legal environment that enhances security, social, and economic stability, promotes respect for the law, tolerance, compassion, and social cohesion, showcases the country’s civilised image, and reinforces the humanitarian identity of the UAE. The Authority also stated that there will be no extension of the grace period, which will conclude on October 31st.
No extension in grace period
Beginning November 1, intensive campaigns will be launched to apprehend violators and reimpose fines on those who have not regularised their status during the grace period. The Authority reiterated its commitment to facilitating and simplifying the procedures for correcting status during this period, allowing beneficiaries to take advantage of the benefits offered, including exemption from fines and no re-entry ban stamp when leaving the country.
