United Arab Emirates — immigration · immigration

How to Put Family Visa on Hold in the UAE: Step-by-Step Immigration Guide

Switching jobs in the United Arab Emirates does not have to mean cancelling your dependents' residencies and paying thousands in new visa fees. By officially putting your family visas on hold through GDRFA or ICP before your residency is cancelled, you can freeze your family's legal status for up to 60 days while your new employer processes your visa.

Understanding the Family Visa Hold System in the United Arab Emirates

When an expatriate worker changes employers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—a transition frequently navigated by professionals originating from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, and the UK—standard immigration regulations dictate that cancelling the primary sponsor's employment visa automatically triggers the cancellation of all sponsored dependents. In a standard cancellation, families are thrown into a stressful 30-day grace period, forced to forfeit active Emirates IDs, disrupt local bank accounts and school files, and eventually pay thousands of dirhams for new entry permits, medical fitness tests, and visa stamping.

To protect expatriate families from this costly disruption, UAE immigration authorities provide a legal mechanism: the Family Visa Hold (formally classified as holding sponsored persons' files for the purpose of cancelling the sponsor's residence). This service is administered by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for Dubai visa holders via Amer centres and GDRFA smart platforms, and by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain.

Timing is critical: you cannot place your family's visas on hold after your employment residency visa is cancelled in the immigration database. Many corporate HR departments rush employees through simultaneous labour and visa cancellations to clear their company quotas, inadvertently locking workers out of the hold process. You must enforce the proper sequence: cancel your labour card with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), freeze your dependents' files with immigration, and only then allow your outgoing employer to cancel your residency stamp.

Mandatory Requirements, Security Deposits, and the 60-Day Clock

To qualify for a family visa hold, the sponsor must present an official new employment offer letter or an initial electronic work permit issued by MOHRE (or the relevant free zone authority) proving that a new UAE residency is imminent. In addition, each dependent's residence visa must generally be active and valid for at least three months at the time of application. You will need the original passports and Emirates IDs of yourself and all dependents, your MOHRE labour cancellation receipt, your registered tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai or Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi), and proof of a valid UAE bank account with your IBAN for your eventual refund.

Immigration authorities require a refundable security deposit to freeze the files—typically AED 2,500 to AED 5,000 per dependent depending on the emirate and visa profile, along with administrative typing and government processing fees. Once approved, immigration places an official administrative lock on your dependents' files for a strict window of up to 60 days. During this 60-day period, your family members must remain inside the UAE; international travel while a visa is on hold is prohibited and can cause automatic residency cancellation at border control.

The 60-day clock begins the moment the hold is issued. Within this timeframe, your new employer must complete your entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID registration, and final residence visa stamping. If your incoming employer delays processing and misses the 60-day cut-off, your security deposit risks permanent forfeiture, and your dependents will lapse into illegal status subject to daily immigration fines.

Releasing the Hold, Recovering Your Deposit, and Legal Support

As soon as your new UAE employment residency is activated and stamped on your passport or digital Emirates ID record, you must formally release the family visa hold. Return to the Amer centre (in Dubai) or log into the ICP smart portal (in other emirates) with your new residency details, new employment contract, and the original deposit payment receipt. The immigration officer will transfer and relink your dependents' existing residency files to your new sponsor profile without requiring them to repeat medical testing or biometrics.

Once the relinking is finalized, immigration submits the refund order for your security deposit. The deposited amount is generally returned via bank transfer to your designated UAE IBAN within 7 to 14 business days, less nominal bank or portal processing deductions. Retain every transaction receipt and reference number until the funds clear your personal bank account.

If your current company's HR is threatening to cancel your visa prematurely, or if your incoming employer is dragging their feet on your new work permit, you have legal options to protect your dependents from overstay penalties. This guide is for informational purposes and does not constitute formal legal advice. Caunsel is not a law firm and does not file immigration petitions on your behalf. However, you can use Caunsel to research UAE immigration rules, organize your cancellation documents and receipts in a secure workspace, or connect directly with an independent UAE immigration lawyer who can intervene before strict deadlines expire.

Steps

• Secure your official new job offer letter and electronic work permit approval from your incoming employer or free zone authority.
• Have your current employer process your MOHRE labour contract cancellation, but explicitly instruct them not to submit your immigration visa cancellation yet.
• Visit an authorized Amer centre in Dubai or log into the ICP smart services portal with all original passports, Emirates IDs, labour cancellation papers, and tenancy proof.
• Submit the 'Hold Sponsored Persons' File' application, pay the refundable security deposit (AED 2,500 to AED 5,000 per dependent) plus typing fees, and collect your official hold certificate and payment receipt.
• Instruct your previous employer to proceed with cancelling your personal employment residency, knowing your family's files are protected.
• Complete your new visa stamping within the mandatory 60-day window, then return to Amer or the ICP portal to release the hold and request your deposit refund via IBAN.

Common mistakes

• Allowing your outgoing employer to cancel your residency visa before obtaining the formal dependent hold certificate from Amer or ICP.
• Allowing sponsored dependents to travel outside the UAE while their visas are on hold, which can cause automatic cancellation at the border.
• Failing to track your incoming employer's onboarding progress, causing your new visa to take longer than the strict 60-day limit and forfeiting your deposit.
• Losing your physical payment receipt or electronic transaction code, which is required to claim your refund after lifting the hold.
• Assuming Dubai GDRFA rules and federal ICP rules share the same digital portals; Dubai residency files must be handled via GDRFA/Amer, while other emirates use ICP.

Questions people ask

How much is the security deposit to put a family visa on hold in the UAE?

Depending on the emirate, the refundable deposit is typically AED 2,500 to AED 5,000 per dependent, alongside a non-refundable typing and service fee of roughly AED 100 to AED 250. The deposit is returned to your UAE bank account once your new residency is active and the hold is lifted.

Can my family leave the UAE while their visas are placed on hold?

No. Dependents whose visas are placed on hold must remain inside the UAE for the entire duration of the hold. Exiting the country while their residency is frozen can trigger entry permit mismatches or automatic cancellation by immigration authorities.

What happens if my new employer does not issue my visa within 60 days?

If your new employment residency is not finalized and stamped within the 60-day holding window, immigration authorities may forfeit your refundable security deposit. Additionally, your dependents' visas will face cancellation, and they will become subject to overstay fines unless an extension or formal cancellation is filed.

General information only, last updated 2026-11-04. Caunsel is not a law firm and does not practise law. AI answers and this guide are not legal advice. Verify filings, deadlines, and statutes with a licensed lawyer in United Arab Emirates — immigration.