A minimum monthly salary of 30,000 dirhams has been imposed for professionals working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who want to obtain a golden visa for a long-term stay. The immigration experts said that the minimum salary requirement for a 10-year stay golden visa does not include allowances given by institutions. According to daily Khaleej Times, the packages that are usually included by the government in this regard include basic salary, house rent, transportation and other allowances. The minimum salary requirement for the gold visa has been changed, says Nofisatu Mojidi, senior manager for Dubai at immigration services firm Fragoman. Hitherto, visas were issued based on gross salary including various allowances. Now the condition has been imposed that the net salary should be at least 30,000 dirhams per month.

Feroze Khan, operations manager and immigration expert at Dubai-based firm Arabian Business Center, also confirmed the new basic salary requirement for golden visas. The UAE launched a gold visa scheme in 2022 so that the most talented people from all over the world come to the UAE and raise its economic status. The change in the golden visa policy will bring the top professionals to the UAE, but thousands of people working there will not be able to realize the dream of a long-term stay. There are also long-term experts working in the Emirates who, although they do not get paid much, but their presence gives energy to the economy of the Emirates. Such people will now be forced to continue working on short-term visas.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan