New UAE visa regime encourages residents to stay longer – News

HR industry executives note that the time span for residents in the country has increased to more than five years

The average length of stay of residents in the UAE will increase as the new visa regime will encourage expatriates to stay longer in the country, according to a recruitment and human resources consultant.

The UAE has launched a number of new long-term residence permits for investors, property buyers, students and professionals, including golden visas, green visas, retirement visas and freelance visas, to attract the best talent from around the world.

The UAE has long been seen as a transient place where professionals stay for a year or two before relocating to other countries. However, the introduction of long-term visas will increase the country’s attractiveness for skilled and professional workers from the Gulf, Asian and African regions.

HR industry executives noted that the time span for UAE residents has increased to more than five years and is set to grow further as the country cements its status as one of the safest countries during the pandemic.

Nicki Wilson, managing director of Genie Recruitment, believes that having more flexible visas will encourage many to stay in the UAE long-term and allow high net worth individuals to consider the UAE when settling and planning for their future.

“With the new long-term visa options, we will see more of a shift in mindset and an increase in the average length of stay in the UAE. Now we often hear about talent staying in the UAE for longer periods, say five years or more, but in the future it will We’re going to see more and more residents with longer tenures,” Wilson said.

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After spending some time in the country, many skilled and qualified UAE residents opt for permanent residence in other countries to obtain stronger passports, namely Canada, UK and Australia. “We’re likely to see more people staying longer rather than moving around as often.”

James Swallow, Commercial Director, PRO Partner Group, said that since the launch of the Golden Visa in 2019, there has been an influx of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and stay in the UAE as the country is known as a ‘millionaire magnet’ and visa for HNWIs Availability makes it an attractive live and work destination.

“The AED 2 million investment through the real estate category enables wealthy individuals to obtain golden visas. As a result, real estate value figures are increasing, reaching record levels by the end of 2022. This shows that residents will stay here due to security and stability, “He said.

From 2019 to mid-November 2022, Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners issued 151,666 golden visas to investors and professionals, reflecting a steady increase in interest in long-term residents and successful residence permits.

Nicki Wilson added that with the popularity of hybrid options, people are more geographically mobile.

“The UAE is taking steps to ease the visa situation for expatriates who do not hold positions in the UAE and this opens the door for many people who are looking for the Dubai lifestyle without having to look for work in the UAE. You could have someone working on global projects now but living in the UAE ,” she added.