UAE: Increase in demand for Golden Visa

The demand for long-term residency has soared after the UAE lowered the salary requirement for Golden Visas for skilled professionals. Since the program's expansion in October, the Arabian Business Centre (Amer Centre - Sheikh Zayed Road) in Dubai has been issuing between 30 and 40 Golden Visas each day.

More than 12,000 long-term resident permits have been granted this year, primarily to businesspeople and professionals. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) reports that between 2019 and 2022, more than 151,600 Golden Visas were issued in Dubai.

More qualified professionals can obtain long-term residency under the enhanced Golden Visa program, with the minimum monthly salary requirement decreasing from Dh50,000 to Dh30,000. The disciplines included in the list are medical, engineering, business, information technology, law, education, culture, and the social sciences.

The candidates must be designated at the first or second occupational level under the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization system and have an existing employment contract in the United Arab Emirates. A bachelor's degree or its equivalent is the required level of education.

This is anticipated to increase dramatically now that more types of expatriates can obtain the greatly desired visa.