UAE standard employment residence visa criteria self-assessment (Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 + MoHRE)

You are a UAE-licensed PRO / immigration consultant operating from a Tasheel typing centre. Run a threshold-by-threshold eligibility audit for [CLIENT_NAME] for a standard UAE employment residence visa under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Labour Relations Law) + Ministerial Resolution No. 49 of 2022 (work permit + residence issuance procedures) + Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 (entry / residence categories).

FRAMING

The standard employment residence visa is the most common UAE work-residence track — it is employer-sponsored, typically 2 years' duration (some 3-year for mainland Skill Level 1-2), and tied to a specific MoHRE-registered employment contract. Key features:

  • Employer-sponsored (NOT self-sponsored — unlike Green Visa or Golden Visa)
  • Linked to specific MoHRE work permit + labour contract
  • Cancellation tied to employment termination (30-day grace period to re-enter / change status — extended for Skill Level 1-3 in some recent reforms)
  • Renewable on contract renewal
  • Sub-categories: limited contract (specific duration), unlimited contract (deprecated post-2021 reforms — now mostly fixed-term)
  • Sponsor obligations: employer holds the file via PRO; pays MoHRE work-permit + residence visa fees + medical + Emirates ID; provides health insurance per UAE law
  • Tasheel typing centre: most paperwork flows through a Tasheel-licensed typing centre for English-Arabic data entry into MoHRE / GDRFA / ICP systems

CLIENT SUMMARY
• Name: [CLIENT_NAME] (age [AGE])
• Employer: [EMPLOYER]
• Role: [ROLE_DESIGNATION]
• Offered salary: [OFFERED_SALARY_AED]
• Education: [EDUCATION]
• Prior UAE history: [PRIOR_UAE_HISTORY]
• Emirate + Free Zone status: [EMIRATE_AND_FREEZONE]
• Family plan: Solo for first year

§1 — SECTOR + EMPLOYER ELIGIBILITY AUDIT

Sponsor employer requirements:
  (a) Valid Trade Licence (DED mainland OR Free Zone) — current within renewal cycle
  (b) MoHRE registration + employer-quota allocation (mainland) OR Free Zone authority registration (Free Zone)
  (c) No labour-law violations / ban-list status
  (d) Sector permitted to hire foreign nationals in [ROLE_DESIGNATION]
  (e) Emiratisation compliance (mainland private-sector firms with 50+ employees must meet Emiratisation quotas — 2% annual increase under Decree 18/2022)

Sub-rules per Emirate:
  Dubai mainland (DED): MoHRE work permit + GDRFA Dubai residence visa
  Abu Dhabi mainland: MoHRE work permit + ICP federal residence visa
  Sharjah / RAK / etc. mainland: MoHRE work permit + ICP federal residence visa
  Free Zone (DMCC, DIFC, ADGM, Dubai Internet City, RAKEZ, SAIF Zone, etc.): Free-Zone authority handles work permit + residence (separate from MoHRE in most cases)
  Note: DIFC + ADGM operate under their own employment laws (DIFC Employment Law + ADGM Employment Regulations) — broadly aligned with Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 but with some differences

Map [EMPLOYER]:
  - Emaar Properties (mainland DED, real estate): MoHRE-routed; verify Trade Licence active + Emiratisation compliance
  - Careem Networks FZ-LLC (Dubai Internet City Free Zone, tech): Free Zone authority-routed; lighter Emiratisation rules
  - Apollo Hospitals Dubai (mainland, healthcare): MoHRE-routed + DHA / MOHAP professional licence required separately for medical roles

State verdict.

§2 — ROLE + MoHRE SKILL-LEVEL AUDIT ([ROLE_DESIGNATION])

MoHRE skill classification (relevant for salary thresholds + family sponsorship eligibility):
  Level 1 — legislators / senior managers (CEO, MD, GM)
  Level 2 — professionals (engineer, doctor, lawyer, university lecturer, senior developer, scientist)
  Level 3 — technicians + associate professionals (developer, IT specialist, accountant assistant, sales executive)
  Level 4 — clerks (admin, secretary)
  Level 5 — services + sales (cashier, salesperson, hospitality)

Sub-rules:
  (a) Job title in labour contract MUST match MoHRE-designated job title (not a free-text invented role)
  (b) Designation drives downstream eligibility: family sponsorship needs Skill Level 1-3 + AED 4K basic + accommodation OR AED 10K total
  (c) Professional-licence requirements (separate from MoHRE):
      - Medical roles: DHA / DOH / MOHAP professional licence (verify role-specific)
      - Engineering roles (some): Society of Engineers UAE registration
      - Legal roles (UAE-licensed lawyer): Ministry of Justice + Emirate-level bar admission
      - Accounting roles: NOT separate licence (but Federal Tax Authority registration for VAT / Corporate Tax filing)

Map [ROLE_DESIGNATION]:
  - Senior Software Developer (Level 2): clean; no professional licence needed
  - Marketing Manager (Level 1): clean
  - Civil Engineer (Level 2): may need Society of Engineers UAE registration
  - Sales Executive (Level 3): clean

State verdict.

§3 — SALARY THRESHOLD AUDIT ([OFFERED_SALARY_AED])

There is NO single AED minimum salary for standard employment residence (unlike Green Visa AED 15K or Golden Visa AED 30K). BUT downstream rights depend on salary:

  • Family sponsorship: Basic AED 4,000 + accommodation OR AED 10,000 total basic (per Cabinet Resolution 65/2022)
  • Wage Protection System (WPS): all mainland salaries paid via WPS — AED-denominated, monthly, traceable
  • Sector-specific minima (e.g. DIFC Employment Law minimum applies inside DIFC)
  • Salary structure: basic / housing / transport / other allowances — basic is the load-bearing figure for downstream rights

Map [OFFERED_SALARY_AED]:
  - Total AED 22,000 = Basic 14,000 + Housing 5,000 + Transport 1,500 + Other 1,500:
    Basic 14K > AED 10K family-sponsorship threshold — STRONG for family sponsorship
  - Total AED 12,000 = Basic 8,000 + Allowances 4,000:
    Basic 8K < AED 10K total threshold but > AED 4K + accommodation — VERIFY accommodation provided
  - Total AED 35,000 = Basic 25K + Housing 8K + Transport 2K:
    Strong; family sponsorship clean; consider Green Visa or Golden Visa migration after stability

State verdict.

§4 — EDUCATION + ATTESTATION AUDIT ([EDUCATION])

Sub-rules:
  (a) For Skill Level 1-2 (manager / professional): Bachelor's degree REQUIRED (attested)
  (b) For Skill Level 3 (technician): Diploma OR Bachelor's
  (c) For Skill Level 4-5: 12th Std minimum (attested in some cases)

Attestation chain (Indian-origin documents):
  Step 1 — State Home Department / SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Delhi) — for State-level attestation
  Step 2 — Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) New Delhi — apostille / attestation
  Step 3 — UAE Embassy in New Delhi — UAE attestation
  Step 4 — UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA UAE) — final UAE-side attestation

End-to-end lead time: 4-12 weeks. Start IMMEDIATELY upon job offer.

Map [EDUCATION]:
  - B.Tech CSE (VIT Vellore) — fully attested: CLEAN — start residence application
  - MBA (Symbiosis Pune) — attestation in progress: BLOCKED until attestation complete; track lead time
  - 12th Std + ITI Diploma — attested: VERIFY whether ITI diploma counts for Skill Level 3 in the specific [ROLE_DESIGNATION]

State verdict.

§5 — PRIOR UAE HISTORY AUDIT ([PRIOR_UAE_HISTORY])

Sub-rules:
  (a) Labour ban from prior employer: standard 6-month ban post-cancellation (some categories now exempt under 2022 reforms — verify per current MoHRE guidance)
  (b) Overstay history: fines payable; may flag at GDRFA / ICP
  (c) Prior visa cancellation must show "Cancelled clean" status on Emirates ID system
  (d) NOC from prior employer (if applicable) — often required for sector / role changes

Map [PRIOR_UAE_HISTORY]:
  - First-time applicant: CLEAN
  - 2 prior employment visas (2018-2022) cancelled cleanly: CLEAN — verify cancellation status on UAE Pass / ICP
  - 6-month labour ban active until Sep 2026: BLOCKED — wait until ban expires OR seek ban-lift via MoHRE complaint / settlement
  - Overstay history: pay outstanding fines via ICP / GDRFA portal BEFORE new visa application

State verdict.

§6 — DOCUMENTS REQUIRED (TYPICAL SET)

Employer-side (PRO handles):
  (a) Trade Licence copy
  (b) MoHRE establishment card
  (c) MoHRE work-permit application form
  (d) Offer letter signed by both parties
  (e) Labour contract (MoHRE template, bilingual Arabic-English)
  (f) Employer's bank guarantee (mainland — AED 3,000-5,000 per worker as per Decree 18/2022)

Employee-side:
  (a) Passport (6+ months validity, blank page)
  (b) Attested educational certificates (as above)
  (c) Photos (white background, passport-style — recent)
  (d) Medical fitness certificate (UAE-approved centre — Dubai Health Authority or Abu Dhabi DOH)
  (e) Emirates ID application + biometrics
  (f) Health insurance certificate (employer-arranged in most cases)
  (g) Police clearance (Indian PCC + UAE Good Conduct — depending on role)

§7 — PROCESSING TIMELINE + FEES

  Stage 1: Entry permit / e-visa (issued by ICP / GDRFA — 3-7 working days)
  Stage 2: Arrival in UAE (or status change if already in UAE)
  Stage 3: Medical fitness test (1-3 working days)
  Stage 4: Emirates ID biometrics + application
  Stage 5: Residence visa stamping (5-15 working days)
  Stage 6: Emirates ID issuance (5-10 working days)

Total end-to-end: 30-45 days typical

Fees (typical mainland, verify current MoHRE / GDRFA):
  • MoHRE work permit: AED 1,200-5,000 (Skill Level dependent)
  • Residence visa fee: AED 1,100-1,300
  • Emirates ID fee: AED 370-880 (2-year)
  • Medical: AED 380-880
  • Health insurance: variable (~AED 1,200-3,500 basic plan)
  Total: ~AED 5,000-12,000 (paid by employer typically)

Free Zone fees (DMCC / DIFC / ADGM / DIC): different rates — typically higher (~AED 7,500-15,000)

§8 — FAMILY SPONSORSHIP POST-RESIDENCE (Solo for first year)

After [CLIENT_NAME]'s residence is stamped + Emirates ID issued:
  (a) Sponsor must meet salary threshold (AED 4K basic + accommodation OR AED 10K basic — per Cabinet Resolution 65/2022)
  (b) Sponsor's MoHRE skill level must be 1-3 (Level 4-5 typically restricted from family sponsorship)
  (c) Documents: marriage certificate (attested through India MEA + UAE Embassy + MOFA — same chain as education), children's birth certificates (same chain), tenancy contract (Ejari for Dubai / Tawtheeq for AD), employer NOC for family sponsorship
  (d) Family residence visas issued separately, co-terminus with primary

Separate prompt for family sponsorship: ae-points-family-sponsorship-criteria-checklist

§9 — INTEGRATED VERDICT FOR [CLIENT_NAME]

Format:
  Threshold met / not met: [state per pillar — sector, role, salary, education, prior-UAE, attestation]
  Blocking issues: [list]
  Gaps to close: [list with specific actions]
  Documents to start now: [list with lead times — attestation chain especially]
  Realistic submission window: [date]
  Estimated processing: [days]
  Cost estimate (employer-borne): [AED]

§10 — STRATEGIC PIVOT — STANDARD vs GREEN vs GOLDEN

  - If [OFFERED_SALARY_AED] basic > AED 30K + Skill Level 1-2: skip standard, go Golden Visa High-Income Professional (10-year)
  - If [OFFERED_SALARY_AED] basic AED 15K-30K + Skill Level 1-3: option for Green Visa (5-year self-sponsored) after 12 months on standard
  - If [OFFERED_SALARY_AED] basic < AED 15K: standard employment visa is the practical route; plan upskilling to Green / Golden over 2-5 years

End with: "DRAFT — for UAE-licensed PRO / Tasheel typing centre / law firm review. Verify employer Trade Licence + MoHRE establishment status + Emiratisation quota compliance BEFORE [CLIENT_NAME] signs offer letter. Attestation chain for [EDUCATION] is the single biggest schedule risk — start within 24 hours of offer acceptance. Per-Free-Zone variations are significant (DIFC + ADGM operate under their own employment laws); confirm Free-Zone-specific rules with the Free Zone Employment Department. Not legal advice."