The fast-paced cosmopolitan lifestyle that we see in Dubai might be a little bit exhaustive for working professionals and entrepreneurs. Finding the perfect work-life balance is a constant struggle for people working or doing business in Dubai. In such circumstances, hiring domestic help to perform household chores becomes an absolute necessity. Expatriate professionals or investors can enlist the help of PRO firms in Dubai to understand the conditions for sponsoring a housemaid or domestic help.
Sponsoring domestic help in Dubai involves a series of steps for which the expatriates require immigration experts’ assistance. Consulting with PRO companies in Dubai is the most efficient way of sponsoring domestic help. More Information on sponsoring the visa of domestic help in Dubai can be had in this article. Read ahead.
Conditions for Expatriates to Sponsor a Housemaid in Dubai
Sponsoring domestic help in Dubai is a highly regulated process as this particular group is highly vulnerable to human rights violations and exploitation. The government has made a salary benchmark and other expatriate sponsors’ conditions to ensure that domestic help gets minimum wage and a safer work environment. The following are the conditions for hiring a maid in Dubai on your visa:
- The sponsor’s monthly income should not be less than AED 25,000
- The sponsor is required to pay an annual fee at the Immigration Department
- The sponsor should be a UAE resident living with his / her family
- The sponsor should not be a single male
- The housemaid and the sponsor/spouse should not be related
Also, it is illegal to hire a housemaid below 18 years of age. Many countries have specified the age criteria if the UAE residents are bringing a maid from those countries. For example, if the Maid is from India, the age should not be less than 30 years. Consult with the best PRO firms in Dubai to know further about the age criteria of housemaids.
Documents / Information Required to Sponsor a Housemaid in Dubai
If you wish to sponsor a maid on your visa, collect the following documents and approach the best PRO companies in Dubai,
- Passport copies of both Maid and Sponsor
- Colour photograph of Maid & Sponsor (white background)
- Original passport of Sponsor & Spouse (for scanning)
- Sponsor’s Emirates ID (original)
- Attested original marriage certificate of Sponsor (legal translation in Arabic)
- Original salary certificate of the Sponsor, original labour contract
- Original court agreement showing shareholding, copy of trade license if Sponsor is an investor
- Partners list for LLC investors/partners
- Original Tenancy contract showing a minimum of two bedrooms (must be attested through Ejari online system of RERA
- Original Electricity and Water Bill in the name of the applicant or spouse
- An affidavit from the Consulate stating that the Maid is not related to the Sponsor and spouse. Separate Affidavit to be made for both Sponsor and spouse. (This is applicable only if the Maid is from the same nationality as the Sponsor)
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the Sponsor (applicant).
Respect the Rights of a Domestic Help in the UAE
Before proceeding further with the visa processing, you should understand the rights of domestic help in the UAE. Failing to provide the benefits that housemaids are entitled to will land you in legal trouble. You can consult with the best PRO firms in Dubai to have a proper understanding of the rights of housemaids. As per the UAE Domestic Labour Law, domestic help is entitled to the following rights:
- The sponsor should pay the wages as set out in the standard contract within ten days they are due
- Domestic help is entitled to one day of paid rest per week
- Twelve hours of rest per that includes eight straight hours of rest
- Paid vacation of 30 days per year
- An employer should provide medical insurance
- A medical leave of 30 days per year
- A round trip ticket home every two years
- A decent accommodation
- Decent meals at the employer’s expense
- Decent attire ideal for the job at the employer’s expense
- Domestic help is entitled to the possession of their personal identification papers such as passports, IDs, etc.
What Not to do While Sponsoring a Housemaid in Dubai?
The UAE government gives utmost importance to protecting domestic workers’ rights to ensure that they live and work in a safer environment. Any lapse in adhering to the laws related to hiring or sponsoring domestic help in the UAE will be met with stringent punishment. A UAE resident planning to sponsor a domestic help should not do the following things that are considered illegal,
- Sponsoring of housemaids below the age of 18
- Discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion and political opinion
- sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical
- Forced labour or trafficking
- Exposure to physical harm
It is practically impossible for an expatriate to understand all the rights of a housemaid as enshrined in the UAE Law on Domestic Workers. Instead of going solo for the sponsorship, it is better to carry out the visa processing application through the best PRO companies in Dubai. Availing PRO services in Dubai gives you access to consultation from immigration experts who will enlighten you about the legal aspects of sponsorship.
Why Should you Apply through PRO Companies in Dubai?
Sponsoring a housemaid’s visa in Dubai is a sensitive matter that needs to be deftly handled. Due to the increasing cases of human rights violations suffered by the housemaids, the government has implemented stringent laws and highly streamlined processes to sponsor domestic help in Dubai. In view of the complex procedures, the residents are recommended to undertake the process through PRO firms in Dubai, such as Jitendra Business Consultants (JBC).
Being one of the best PRO companies in UAE, JBC takes pride in helping out thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs in sponsoring housemaids to take care of their household chores. JBC’s PRO services in Dubai minimises the complexities involved in requirements such as visa application, immigration approvals, typing of the documents, medical fitness test, health insurance, and visa stamping.