Married couples can sponsor each other for a residence visa in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the rest of the UAE. Note that the sponsorship is only for a residence visa which is not the same as an employment visa / work permit / labour card. If the spouse is working, then s/he is supposed to get a work permit from the employer. It is not uncommon for spouses to work (usually part-time) without a labour card but be aware that s/he will not have any rights should there be a dispute between the employee and the employer, and there is potential for problems (fines, labour ban, deportation) if found out. There are some restrictions when applying to sponsor your wife or husband.
* Husband can sponsor their wife whether she is employed or not, and no matter what his occupation is (except in Sharjah which have funny restrictions on which occupations are permitted to sponsor their families).
* The sponsor must have a salary of at least AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 if the company provides accommodation. This may have increased to AED 5,000 or 6,000 per month without accommodation and AED 4,000 with accommodation in 2009 (check with the immigration department). There was a proposal by the Federal National Council (FNC) in December 2008 that the minimum salary should be increased to AED 8,000 and AED 10,000 per month. Update: according to press reports 01 July 2009, this change to minimum AED 10,000 per month will be implemented (unknown when), but possible exceptions for humanitarian cases could be made (ask at immigration department).
* Wives can only sponsor their husbands if she is in a restricted list of professions for example teacher, doctor, engineer or equivalent. She must have a minimum salary of AED 5000. Dubai rules might be more flexible on occupation if the wife is earning more than AED 10,000 (check with the DNRD "Department of Naturalization & Residency Dubai").
* People in de-facto relationships cannot sponsor their partners - a marriage certificate is required. It probably wouldn't be advisable to even try since it is illegal for unmarried couples to live together in Dubai.
* Muslim expatriates with more than one wife can only sponsor one of them for a residence visa (Gulf News 28 October 2007).
* Wives under the age of 25 might need special permission from the Director General of the immigration department (not confirmed).
There may be some flexibility in how these rules are applied, depending on which emirate you're in, what nationality you are or what country your passport comes from, how much you earn, your profession, the time of day, and how much "wasta" (It is Arabic and translates as something like authority, influence, political (or other) power, connections, or a combination of those terms.) you have. Women who don't fit the criteria above could apply at the relevant immigration department for special dispensation to sponsor their husbands. Alternatively, trade up to a newer model husband who already has a job and a sponsor.
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