According to the official, expatriates who wished to sponsor a domestic helper in the past, used to pay Dh5,000 as a deposit and another Dh5,000 as fees in addition to other visa costs.

“The deposit has been lowered by Dh3,000 to only Dh2,000,” said the official.

The deposit paid by Emiratis in order to sponsor a domestic helper is also Dh2,000.

Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, told Gulf News: “The deposit will be refunded only when the domestic helper visa is cancelled and when she leaves the country,” he said.

Attested documents

Previously, the deposit was refunded when the residency visa was issued to the domestic helper.

Those who want to bring a domestic helper of their own nationalities such as Indian, Filipino, or any other nationalities that are allowed to work as domestic helpers, must obtain an attested document or letter proving they are not related, from their respective embassies or consulates.

The period for a domestic helper’s visa for expatriates is valid for one year only.

The fees will be Dh5,000 in addition to Dh2,000 as refundable deposit for a domestic helper visa, in addition to other visa fees and medical checks.

Aimed at responding to an increased demand for freelance media professionals at twofour54, the freelance license scheme encourages creative individuals to work within twofour54’s growing media ecosystem of partner companies including twofour54 intaj.

Freelance license holders will be eligible for a UAE residence visa with twofour54.

Commenting on the new freelance license framework, Tony Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said: “Media production is a project based industry which is heavily dependent on freelance talent, matching people to productions, with crews often mobilised at short notice. As home to the Arabic creative industries, the freelance license solution is an essential element of twofour54’s drive to provide impetus to the production and broadcast industry in Abu Dhabi.”

“We want twofour54 partner companies to be well served by a skilled community of media professionals. We have developed a robust license approach for qualified and experienced media freelancers to work at twofour54, which operates within the UAE employment and immigration laws.”

Humaid Rashid Bin Deemas, Acting Director General of the Labour Ministry, said an employer does not have the right to bargain workers for their financial settlement against providing them with a no objection letter to transfer their visas.

Regarding fines imposed on some applicants because of their delay in labour procedures, Bin Deemas said these fines were the state’s right and must be paid.

Warned

He warned against bogus companies which provide no jobs for workers on their sponsorship. He stressed the ministry’s keenness to cooperate with all parties concerned to provide bank guarantee facilities to enable the conclusion of transactions quickly and easily.

Staying outside the UAE for more than six months will automatically result in the cancellation of residence visas and expatriates must then obtain new visas to enter the country again,” said a senior official from the Ministry of Interior.

Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of Dubai Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, told Gulf News that according to the Federal Residency Law the residence permit granted to a foreigner shall be deemed as cancelled if the period of his/her stay outside the UAE exceeds six months.

“This is not a new rule and everyone should be aware of it. No one can stay outside the country for more than six months and try to enter the country without a valid residence visa,” he said.

He said earlier this rule was not enforced strictly and expatriates with valid residence visas could re-enter the country by filling out a form at the airport.

The ministry has now decided to adhere to the rule strictly at all entry points in the country, he added

However, Major General Al Merri said there are exemptions to this rule in which people under specific circumstances will be allowed to enter the country even if their stay exceeded six months abroad.

Director of DNRD’s IT Project Management, First Lieutenant Khalid Bin Mediya Al Falasi, said: “This service is very helpful for everyone as they can check visa status, rules for new residency [visas] and transactions from anywhere using your own mobile.

“Nowadays [a] mobile [phone] is a close friend of everyone. It is the only thing that a majority of people keep… with them all the time. Moreover, 44 per cent of people are using mobile phones [to do] their banking transactions.”

Thus the DNRD found that there was no better alternative other than for mobile phones to be a way to ease service delivery, he added. However, one must first register for this service with the DNRD.

“You can check your personal DNRD record, your visa status, fines and fees, through the Mobile Service and [be charged] Dh1 only each time you log-in,” he said.

Mobile phones will soon be used by visitors to enter Dubai.

“With the M-visa, the orange-coloured physical copy of the entry permits will no longer be required,” Al Falasi said.

“Through the M-visa, visitors, residents and guests residing in Dubai and abroad will receive instant notification via email and text messages upon issuance of their entry permits or visas of all types.”

Access

When applying for entry permits either by visiting DNRD offices or using online applications at www.ednrd.ae, customers will be requested to choose the M-Visa option on the application and to make the necessary payment of Dh20 to give them access to the M-visa facilities, he said.

“When their visa is issued, the user will be notified through an email message [with] an original e-visa document, bearing the DNRD logo and signature of the director,” he said.

The secure PDF file will prevent any tampering with the details of the visitor.

Earlier, most visitors had to present a copy of their entry permit at the airport and pick up the original version before going through immigration.

How M-visa works

- The DNRD has launched a new mobile M-Visa facility to offer its customers instant notification via email and text messages upon issuance of their entry permits for all visa types.

- Customers can apply for entry permits at www.ednrd.ae.

- When a visa is issued, customers will be notified though an email and/or sms message.

- The e-mail includes an original visa document (PDF format)

- The SMS will have a barcode and it can be sent to any destination around the world.

- The barcode scanner set up at DNRD checkpoints will read the details of the entry permit directly off the mobile devices of the visitors to facilitate easy entry into the country.

“There are citizens of 36 countries who do not need a visa in advance. These citizens can get a visa upon arrival in the UAE,” Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, acting Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Borders, told Gulf News. “They can come and go as much as they want and at any time they want,” he said.

He said the one month waiting period is counted from the day the person leaves the country and not from the date of the visa expiration.