Visa extension in 48 hrs for widows, divorcees
dubai — Widows and divorced women can now avail of the oneyear visa extension at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) centre in Dubai Festival City (DFC), officials said on Monday. A women-run office has been set up at the centre to handle the applications that can be granted in just two days.
The advisory comes on the heels of sweeping changes to visa regulations, part of which now allows widows and divorced women and their children to extend their visas for one year without a sponsor.
Officials also confirmed that visa extensions for students and visitors can now be processed in Amer and Tasheel centres across Dubai. For widows and divorced women, however, applications are handled at the GDRFA centre in DFC to grant the female applicants the privacy they need.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jasem Ali Ahli, director of entry permits at the GDRFA, said 12 female employees had been assigned to receive cases at the DFC centre to keep applicants at ease while discussing their cases.
“These cases are sensitive. We understand such cases cannot be discussed at the centre counters, so we dedicated a private office at the GDRFA centre of Dubai Festival City where female officials will specifically handle cases of widows and divorced women,” Ahli said.
Processing visa renewal applications for widows and divorcees takes up to 48 hours, officials said. The applicants and their children, though, must be under the sponsorship of the husband at the time of his death or divorce, and the visas must not have expired.
Applicants must also present an
official divorce or death certificate; the old visa; and proof that they can provide for the family. A Dh100 fee will apply for the residence visa, and another Dh100 to cancel the old visa, Ahli said. The children’s residency period does not exceed that of the mother.
The centre will be open for applications from 7.30am to 2.30pm. Applicants can call 04-7074255 for further information.
Starting October 21, sweeping changes to the UAE visa regulations have been implemented. Under the scheme, widows, divorced
women and their children will be granted a one-year residency visa extension; students sponsored by their parents will get a two-year visa extension after Grade 12; and visit visa holders can apply for a 30-day extension (which can be renewed for another 30 days) without having to leave the country.