Clarity Needed on Residency Visa Issue

I think we all know people who bought property in Dubai for the simple reason that they were going to receive a residency visa.

The section outlining residency visas in property purchase agreements (PPA) would typically have a clause which read something like this:

The Seller gives no warranty either that the Residency Sponsorship application will be successful or that continued sponsorship during the term of the Residency Sponsorship will be possible as these events are all conditional upon the UAE Immigration and Residency laws then prevailing, payment of the applicable Residency Sponsorship fees, the receipt of all documentation in a form satisfactory to the Master Developer and the criteria of the Master Developer. The Seller shall in no way be liable towards the Purchaser or any other person in respect of damages or loss, if the Residency Sponsorship is denied to the Purchaser at any time and for any reason whatsoever.

The above caveat, from a private developers PPA, when framed within the entire section on residency visas still gave enough confidence that a shiny residency visa awaited the buyer in a pot of gold at end of the payment schedule rainbow.

Residency visas will boost property sector.

Without getting into the blame game we all know that presently the big question of residency visas with property purchases is in limbo. 

But let’s try and be constructive (pardon the pun) and look sensibly at the type of people who would apply for a long term residency visa to live in the UAE.

First off there are long term expatriates who have been working and living in the UAE - in some cases thirty plus years. They have lived out their entire working lives in the UAE. They have also contributed to making it the nation it is today.

I don’t think any of these expatriates would be interested in citizenship, since they will be the first to acknowledge that it is important to preserve the Emirati culture, when the majority is non-Emirati. Instead they would be happy with some form of long term residency visa, say five years.

Secondly we have a group of people who are willing to invest in the UAE in terms of setting up a business, for which they can incorporate a company and obtain a residency visa that way.

And thirdly we have private individuals who wish to live for most or some of the time in the UAE in a property they have purchased. This latter group, are also committed to the nation. They have demonstrated it by purchasing a property, which for most people is their biggest expense and commitment. They deserve at least a two year renewable visa.  

The visa issue is extremely important for all foreigners who have an affinity with the UAE.

For the property sector it would provide a huge boost if residency visas were allocated at the federal level.
Till then we wait and see.