# Passport and dependent's visa when my sponsor changes



## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

Hi,

My role is being transferred to a partner company (both are in a TECOM free zone) and so I will get a new visa. As I understand it my wife is sponsored by me and is somehow linked to my visa so when my visa changes her visa needs to be cancelled and she needs her visa a new one. (Please do correct me if I have not understood this bit correctly.)

The question(s) comes from the fact that my wife lives mainly in the UK and won't be back to the UAE for a few months after my visa is transferred/changed in early August.

If my wife's visa is in effect "transferred":
- Can you tell me if the transfer/change of my wife's visa can wait until she comes back in October?
- Or do I somehow need her to send me her passport so that the existing visa can be transferred?

If my moving to a new company means my wife's visa gets cancelled:
- Can it wait until she comes back in October?
- Or do I need to get her to send me the passport so I can get the visa cancelled? And can this be done while she's not in the country?

Other information:
My visa is sponsored by the TECOM Freezone. I believe my wife's residence visa is from Dubai (as opposed to TECOM).

Thanks all for your help and wisdom,
David


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

chestnut said:


> Hi, My role is being transferred to a partner company (both are in a TECOM free zone) and so I will get a new visa. As I understand it my wife is sponsored by me and is somehow linked to my visa so when my visa changes her visa needs to be cancelled and she needs her visa a new one. (Please do correct me if I have not understood this bit correctly.) The question(s) comes from the fact that my wife lives mainly in the UK and won't be back to the UAE for a few months after my visa is transferred/changed in early August. If my wife's visa is in effect "transferred": - Can you tell me if the transfer/change of my wife's visa can wait until she comes back in October? - Or do I somehow need her to send me her passport so that the existing visa can be transferred? If my moving to a new company means my wife's visa gets cancelled: - Can it wait until she comes back in October? - Or do I need to get her to send me the passport so I can get the visa cancelled? And can this be done while she's not in the country? Other information: My visa is sponsored by the TECOM Freezone. I believe my wife's residence visa is from Dubai (as opposed to TECOM). Thanks all for your help and wisdom, David


The visas of those you sponsor have to be cancelled before your visa is cancelled. Once your new visa is stamped in your passport, you can begin the process to apply for their visas.


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## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks for that BedouGirl.
I take it the passports have to be in the authorities' hands for the visas to be cancelled. But do the people have to be here too? (They're both in the UK right now.)

Maybe I should just leave this as a challenge for my new employer. Though my contract is conditional on my getting the right visa... Food for thought, methinks.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

chestnut said:


> Thanks for that BedouGirl. I take it the passports have to be in the authorities' hands for the visas to be cancelled. But do the people have to be here too? (They're both in the UK right now.) Maybe I should just leave this as a challenge for my new employer. Though my contract is conditional on my getting the right visa... Food for thought, methinks.


I don't think they have to be here. I'm pretty sure you just need to hand the passports over for the cancellations. Please don't take my word as gospel and check with your new PRO. Congrats on the new job too


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## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

I'm somewhat relieved. Thanks.
And thank you for the congratulations, though I don't feel I deserve them as it's an outsourcing thing, so I did nothing to get the new job but just happened to be in the old one.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

chestnut said:


> I'm somewhat relieved. Thanks. And thank you for the congratulations, though I don't feel I deserve them as it's an outsourcing thing, so I did nothing to get the new job but just happened to be in the old one.


And that's often the way


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## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

Just a quick update to close the loop. My new employer tell me that as it's an internal transfer within TECOM/DIC there will be no need to cancel the existing visa as "it's an internal transfer".

I will, however, at some point have to give my wife's and son's passports over for their visas to be "transferred" too.

I'll update again when this is complete.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

chestnut said:


> Just a quick update to close the loop. My new employer tell me that as it's an internal transfer within TECOM/DIC there will be no need to cancel the existing visa as "it's an internal transfer".
> 
> I will, however, at some point have to give my wife's and son's passports over for their visas to be "transferred" too.
> 
> I'll update again when this is complete.


that sounds like common sense.....
good luck!


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## ecd1222 (Jun 29, 2015)

Hi David. As I have the same scenario in the coming month, can you please confirm if your and your family's visas had indeed been transferred instead of cancelling and applying for new ones? Thanks a lot.

Nyle


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

If the sponsor doesn't change (viz. transfer of employment between two employers under the same sponsor) and the employee's visa is not being cancelled+reissued (viz. no change in visa validity dates, occupation, etc..), then there is no need to reissue the visa for the sponsored family or domestic workers. As far as immigration is concerned, you are still sponsored by the same entity (TECOM in your case).

If the employee visa were to be changed in any way however (eg. change of designation, etc..), then you would need to either "freeze" the family visas (possible in some jurisdictions by paying an AED 5000 deposit, but not all jurisdictions) or cancel+reissue.


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