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On Family Sponsorship


There are many good things happening in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Khaleej Times reports "Expatriates will no longer be hampered by their job titles to sponsor dependents after the new family sponsorship policy for UAE expats came into effect on Sunday." This means yesterday, 14 July 2019. This is in accordance with Cabinet Decision No. 30 for 2019. What a great news for those who want to bring their families here.

This is very, very timely. As we all know, the family is the foundation of society. The family is supposedly the human rock of every person. Many people away from the family feel an emptiness inside them. I know that the readers can relate to this. Other matters particularly worldly things bring temporary happiness and after some time, the joy is gone.

Atty. Barney Almazar (GulfLaw director), the pride of overseas Filipinos, remarked, "The provisions for sponsoring family members of an expatriate ease the requirements without compromising the interests of the state."

He further said, "By making income as one of the criteria instead of profession, the law has become more inclusive to cover not just professionals but skilled workers as well." 

Isn't it good? The 'more-inclusive' (if not 'all-inclusive' by now) policy of bringing the families with them, has many advantages, and the ultimate benefits go back to the host country.

The expatriates work on their regular work days, and after that, retire at home, mostly in shared accommodations. They cook their own foods or buy from nearby cafeterias or restaurants. They wash their own clothes. For entertainment, they have their individual gadgets, paying separately for WiFi access, if the landlord does not provide free internet. If their families were here, at least one or more of them could cook foods for all, and they save in shared foods of their choice, and some other expenses. They share stories, watch television shows or movies together, do things creatively together, raise the children properly, have outdoor activities, and live normal lives of a family.

With the visa policy reform, any UAE resident can sponsor family members (spouse, under-18-year-old sons and unmarried daughters), provided --
  • salary is AED4K/month, or
  • salary is AED3K + accommodation provided by the company
As long as the sponsor's residency visa is valid, so theirs will be also. It is important that they have health insurance.

With family members, the residents can have a work-life balance. The family is everything. The family is the BIG WHY why they work very hard. In an ideal setting, the father must be the principal needs provider and protector of the family. The support system the family gives is beyond words, and this helps increase one's productivity and boost mental health. When trouble comes, man-made or 'acts of God', it is important to have the family within reach. A community composed of families will be a strong one because they have strong ties.

This move also helps in national development. The sponsor resident's productivity contributes to the company and the country's economic growth. The residents' families will need bigger spaces so there will be an increased demand for residential flats and villas. The children need schooling so they enroll in different learning institutions. They have basic consumer needs, products and services, so the sources to vendors have businesses.

There are businesses built up successfully by families. There is one recycling company built by the father in 1960s. He taught his young sons the value of earning money the hard way. They did not get their money when they asked for it. Weekends they had to do some little tasks. This was a great immersion experience for them. They had direct exposure to the business cycle. Now some sons manage the company business, aside from other businesses they put up for their children and grandchildren.

With this new visa policy reform, all residents must cooperate with the authorities to passionately make all places safe for all to happily live in.

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Photo credits:  Pixabay

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