The new visa rules for the UAE will come into effect tomorrow, which represents one of the biggest changes to the country’s immigration policy in years.

Among the main changes, approved by the Cabinet, are longer visitor visas for tourists, long-term residency for skilled professionals and easier access to a 10-year golden visa.

Note that the permits of golden visa holders who reside outside the country will not be canceled.

People who have canceled their residency visas will get a six-month grace period to remain in the country, where previously people were only allowed one month.

The new visas include a standard 60-day entry permit, instead of the current 30, and a five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa that allows visitors to stay in the country for up to 90 days in a row.

The UAE will also offer five-year green visas, which target skilled workers and the self-employed, and an entry visa to search for work for certificate holders that do not require a sponsor or host.

Under the new rules, parents will be able to sponsor their male children up to the age of 25, up from 18, allowing them to remain in the UAE after school and university.

The golden visa initiative will also be expanded, as skilled professionals with salaries of 30,000 dirhams ($8,100) or more will find it easier to obtain a 10-year visa.