New UAE visa rules: Validity decreased for visas issued in free zones.
The validity of freezone visas issued in the UAE has been reduced from three years to two and went into effect in October this year when the new UAE visa reforms were rolled out.
The new system will affect over 40 multidisciplinary free zones currently existing in the country.
While visas issued in the mainland have a validity of two years, those in the free zones used to have three. The UAE government has now standardized the validity of work licenses, as confirmed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP). The new rule applies to visas under process or those that reached the final stage of the e-sticker processing.
Ultimately, the new rule will determine some level of financial adjustments as visas will become costlier. The visa duration for partners of mainland companies has also been cut down to two years.
Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/new-uae-visa-rules-validity-decreased-for-visas-issued-in-free-zones