You plan to leave the United Arab Emirates and need to cancel your visa. In that case, you have to follow a specific procedure and prepare a visa cancellation letter. This letter is a formal document that explains the reasons why you want to cancel your visa. Additionally, you have to request approval from the competent authorities. In other words, this document is an application for people who intend to leave the country. If you want to change your status as soon as possible you must also have this letter.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the visa cancellation letter. It is important to know that every employee has to issue this cancellation letter from the company in advance. This way, the human resources team can work on the cancellation in time. Once the employee has the visa canceled in the UAE, you can apply for a new one or leave the country.
Why is a letter of cancellation of visa required?
You can find different types of visas in the UAE. For this reason, as an employee, you must issue your visa cancellation letter UAE on time. This is because only the sponsor has the authorization to carry out the process. Additionally, since employees cannot sponsor their visas, they need to know the expiration date of the document and cancel it on time.
On the other hand, if you want to terminate your employment contract before the date; You must also issue the employee visa cancellation letter along with your resignation letter. This way, your employer can start the process of canceling your visa. In addition, the final settlement is in your name, so that you receive your payment for the end of service and any other benefits.
Among the reasons for requesting visa cancellation you can find the following:
- If you want to avoid incurring an excessive stay and having to pay a fine.
- It is mandatory for your sponsor to cancel your visa.
- Have clearer planning about upcoming decisions, such as booking a flight.
- If you want to continue in the country, you can apply for another type of visa such as self-employed or tourist.
- Allows the HR team enough time to process your cancellation.
- If you leave the UAE without canceling your visa, you are violating the law. In this way, you may face work bans in the future.
Legal obligations for visa cancellation
Before you request a visa cancellation letter, you must complete certain matters. This way, you can avoid having any type of complications in the future. Therefore, these are the obligations that you must take into account before canceling your visa:
- You must settle all outstanding utility bills and close all accounts.
- Appropriately terminate the lease and vacate this space.
- Sell or carry out any procedure to transfer a vehicle.
- Close all your bank accounts and do not obtain a letter of responsibility.
- It is important that you check the validity period of your visa and health insurance.
- Obtain educational certificates for children.
- Settle any type of debt and obtain all authorizations.
- Consult a lawyer or any tax advisor about any liability you may have.
Required Documents for Visa Cancellation
If you want the visa cancellation to be successful, you must submit the necessary documents. In this way, the key documents include:
- The original passport of the visa cancellation applicant.
- Original Emirates ID.
- A visa cancellation request form that is signed by your sponsor.
- A copy of your sponsor’s passport.
- Without liability certificate issued by the bank.
- If applicable, a copy of your entry permit.
- If the visa holder has died, the death certificate must be brought.
Additional documents may be necessary depending on the validity of your visa and the specific situation. Therefore, you should check all the requirements beforehand and avoid any problems. In addition, it is also advisable that you look for a visa cancellation letter sample UAE so that you are sure how to make yours.
Implementation of Immigration Regulations
At the end of 2021, Federal Decree number 29 of 2021 was issued regarding the entry and residence of foreigners. This repeals the previous immigration law, Law Number 6 of 1973. In this way, the immigration regulations include very important changes in the country’s immigration system.
Therefore, it introduces new visit and residence visa systems. In addition, these regulations are responsible for classifying entry visas into 5 main types. Among these, you find the visit visa, temporary and emergency visas, entry for residence without work, entry for work, and GCC residents.
In this way, all residence permits were also divided into two main types. First of all, it depends on whether the purpose of the applicant’s stay is related to work or not.
On the other hand, this regulation identifies all categories of applicants who are eligible for the Golden visa and the Green visa. In this way, together with the UAE labor law, it seeks to regulate all aspects related to visas in the UAE. Therefore, you must be aware of all these regulations if you want to immigrate to the UAE.
How may your UAE visa be cancelled?
The first thing you need to know is that canceling your UAE visa is a fairly simple process. The truth is, that you only need to prepare a cancellation document in the UAE. Subsequently, you have to send it to your employer, if you have a work visa.
On the other hand, if you have a family visa, your sponsor, who may be your father or husband, must cancel it on your behalf.
If you want to know how to cancel a work visa in Dubai, through a visa cancellation letter, you will see the process below:
First step: Write your visa cancellation letter and deliver it to the company’s human resources team.
Second step: Download the online visa cancellation application. You have another option is to request the cancellation of the visa at a service center.
Third step: Subsequently, you have to ask the employer for his signature for the letter to be valid.
Fourth step: You have to provide the above documentation together with the visa cancellation letter.
Fifth step: The Human Resources team has the obligation to process the right-to-end service.
Sixth step: The next step is to cancel your labor card. This cancellation is by the Ministry of Labor and the information will reach the GDRFA.
Seventh step: Later, the employer has to visit the GDRFA to cancel the residence visa or you can do it online.
Eighth step: Finally, you can check the cancellation status of your visa in the UAE to determine the completion of the process.
There are many visa cancellation letter models, you can use any of them. On the other hand, the other option is to write your document and thus not worry about how to present your request.
How can you end your dependents’ family visa?
If you are a sponsor for your family members, you have to go to an authorized typing center. The other possible option is for an immigration office to request the cancellation form. Additionally, you have to present the original passport of your dependents and the original Emirates ID.
The center where you are will carry out the cancellation process for you and it will be a simple process. It is important to note that this process must be carried out before canceling your work visa. That is, you have to write the visa cancellation letter, cancel your work visa, and finally, cancel that of your family members.
If you want to cancel your visa in any emirate, you can do it online. However, there is a second option which is to go to an authorized center, such as the following:
- Typing Center: The sponsor has to visit the relevant typing center in the emirate. The center’s function is to process the online cancellation form upon receiving your visa cancellation letter.
- Online: The most common option is online visa cancellation. The sponsor can process the cancellation online. To do this, you have to enter the website of the GDRFA or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
Penalties and Cancellation Fees for Visas
You have to know that staying longer than allowed in the UAE has its consequences. Just like leaving the country is the corresponding cancellation of your work permit. If you try to leave the UAE without resigning, dealing with all outstanding issues, and canceling your visa, your employer may sue you.
If your employer sues you for absconding, you will face severe legal consequences. For instance, an arrest when you try to enter the United Arab Emirates again. Additionally, there is the option of not allowing you to visit the United Arab Emirates again.
Currently, there is a grace period after the expiration or cancellation of a residence visa in the UAE. This grace period lasts a maximum of six months. In addition, you can have a period of six months to renew the visa or leave the country. On the other hand, an interesting fact is that the term for the tourist visa is longer, but they no longer have a 10-day grace period.
People who overstay their stay in the country have to pay a daily fine of AED 50. Additionally, to leave you have to apply for an exit permit with a cost of 250 to 300 AED. You also have to pay the price of visa cancellation fees.
Approved Ways for Refunding a UAE Visa
If you apply for visa cancellation in Dubai and the application is rejected, you have to request a refund of the security deposit. You have to carry out this refund process through GDRFA Dubai.
When you are on the GDRFA service page, you have to follow these steps.
First step: Enter refund information
To do this, you have to enter the application number, which you have to have in your email. The reason is that when you make the cancellation request they send you that information by email. Subsequently, you have to select the refund method. For instance, by bank transfer or by check.
Second step: Enter the applicant’s information
- Full name.
- Emirates ID number.
- Mobile phone number.
- Email address.
- Emirates Unified Number (UID).
- Select the nationality from the drop-down menu.
Finally, when entering the application information you have to click on the next button.
Third step: Upload the essential documents
- Photocopy of Emirates ID.
- Photocopy of the residence visa of the cancellation applicant.
- Visa cancellation letter.
- Photocopy of the passport of the cancellation applicant.
- Photocopy of the digital receipt to confirm payment of the fee.
- Bank certificate containing the IBAN and account number.
After attaching all the documents, you have to review the information and pay the application fees. According to the ICP website, you will have Dh25 as a deposit refund fee.
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