|
Dubai: An expatriate resident can file an application for a domestic helper's visa at the visa section of the Residency and Naturalisation Department of the emirate which issued him/her the residence visa.
The head of the family (couple with or without children) or a working widow or divorced mother with children, or a widower or divorced father with children can apply for a domestic helper's visa.
If a bachelor applies for such a visa it will be dealt f with on a case by case basis. The director-general of the department will decide if there is a need for the bachelor to sponsor a domestic helper.
The sponsor should earn a salary of not less than Dh5,000 with accommodation or Dh6,000.
When applying for the domestic helper's visa an expatriate must pay a Dh5,000 refundable deposit which will be returned when the residence visa is stamped on the domestic helper's passport.
The sponsor must retain the deposit receipt to obtain a refund.
Fees to be paid
When the residence visa is stamped on the domestic helper's passport Dh4,800 must be paid in Interior Ministry fees.
Apart from the fee another Dh100 must be paid for the residence visa.
- Dh100 for the sponsorship and
- Dh100 for a domestic helper's card.
When the domestic helper enters the country, she or he must undergo a health check-up at a government hospital in the emirate where the visa was issued. The cost of the medical check-up is Dh1,200.
This should be done before applying for the residence visa. The domestic helper will then be given a health card.
He or she will also be taken for an iris scan and fingerprinting at the police headquarters of the emirate. The residence visa must be stamped on the domestic helper's passport within 60 days from the date of the person's entry into the country.
No one is allowed to employ a domestic helper who is not under his or her sponsorship. Those who employ maids illegally are liable to be fined not less than Dh10,000.
A resident can employ a domestic helper on his/her own by following the set rules or use the services of a labour recruitment agency which will charge Dh3,500.
The annual ministry fees of Dh4,800 and the deposit amount of Dh5,000 is under review and is expected to be reduced.
Emiratis who apply for a domestic helper's visa have to pay a Dh1,200 refundable deposit. They do not have to pay the annual Dh4,800 ministry fee.
A single UAE national male or female can sponsor a domestic helper, in the event of the death of the family breadwinner.
The sponsor needs:
- An e-form application filled and signed by the sponsor. This will cost Dh100.
- A copy of the sponsor's passport.
- copy of the domestic helper's passport.
- Three passport photos of the helper
.
- An official labour contract (approved and signed by the embassy of the domestic helper) signed by the helper and by the sponsor.
- Copy of the work contract of the sponsor, with salary certificate.
The sponsor can bring a domestic helper from his or her own country, but you need a letter from the embassy or consulate to prove that they are not relatives.
An urgent visa will cost an additional Dh100.
Emirate-specific rules
Each emirate has its own rules for issuing visas for housemaids. Some emirates will not issue visas for certain nationalities. Check with the department first.
According to the labour contract, a sponsor can change his or her domestic helper within three months without paying the fees again.
In the case of a dispute between the sponsor and the domestic helper, the sponsor has the right to cancel the visa of the domestic helper and impose a one-year ban, if the sponsor can prove that the domestic helper has broken the law.
The sponsor will face charges and punishment in case he or she causes harm to the domestic helper.
|
