Visas and sponsorship for Dubai
This was already a minefield, at least for processing, but now Dubai Immigration and Naturalization has come up with a multi-category list to encompass all types of travelers. The reason behind this is that the “visit visa” was being abused, which was granted when entering certain countries or bought with the ticket to others, for example, the Philippines. People entered with a visit visa and after 30 days, they went through what is commonly known as a visa. This is the exercise of leaving the country to return with a new 30-day visit visa … and so on.
This would then go against the employment bans, which is a very emotional issue. The law still states that if someone leaves their workplace within the first year, they are liable for an immediate 6-month work ban. This has to do purely with employment and is separate from the immigration ban, which lasts for 1 year and is normally issued for misdemeanors of a serious nature such as robbery or other punishable offenses.
To exploit the 6-month labor ban, many workers would continue to work on a ‘ban’ and simply leave the country twice, until the ban ended, and could then move on to the sponsorship of their new employer.
At this point, it’s safe to say that most managerial roles don’t initiate a ban if the employee leaves, and there are many large corporations that don’t ban staff at any level. This is refreshing as there are some companies that abuse the rule and threaten to ban people if they quit or ask for a promotion / raise.
The contract sets out the role and, more commonly, for lower paid staff, the length of the contract. If the employee breaks that contract at any time, he is liable for a ban.
The NOC (certificate of no objection)
The NOC is what is required to transfer ‘safely’ from one job to another. If you decide to leave a company within your contract term, and the employer is happy to let you go, you still have to file a NOC. This is actually a short letter stating the employee’s name and passport number, company details or employer details (if you work for a person) and clearly expresses your agreement to allow the employee to transfer without next employer ban. The employee is then said to have obtained a “release.” This letter is displayed during the visa process and as long as a NOC is obtained, no prohibition will apply.
The visa process
The visa process can be painful, therefore the work is done by a company ‘PRO’ or a public relations officer (but not in the sense of an advertising or marketing role). If it is a person applying for a visa for a housekeeper, driver, etc., there are ‘company formation’ companies that will do it for a fee. The very brave can go to immigration themselves, but this can be a very long and arduous process as they move you from one desk to another; to get a signature, pay a deposit, get a typed translation, or wait for a stamp. I highly recommend using a start-up company, using your usual immigration contacts, over coffee!
It is also necessary that the person for whom a visa is being processed has to leave the country to move from the visit visa status to the work visa status. Previously, this might not apply (for some nationalities) if you paid a fee. In the past, it was not necessary to fly back to your home country, but now stricter laws are reintroducing it. At the time of writing, it is still unclear if all nationalities have to fly to their home country, i.e. UK, EU and US citizens. Either way, for the visa to be processed, it is necessary to leave Dubai as a formality, and then return with your new status. This is known as “visa enforcement”. You fly (most commonly) to Qatar (around 45 minutes long), enter the terminal building, go through immigration but transit, enter the departure lounge, and return directly on the same plane that brought you in. It was also possible to drive to Hatta (another emirate within the UAE) and have your passport stamped there, although the point behind that is that you have to drive to the Omani border, but that didn’t always seem to be the case.
Doctor
It is a prerequisite to have a medical examination and to pass it, before your visa is finally processed. This involves a blood test and a chest X-ray. If it is determined that you are HIV + or have hepatitis C, you will be rejected and deported immediately. This is up for discussion, but until now (September 2008) the rule remains. It is also imperative to have valid medical insurance to enter the country, even with a tourist visa.
The updated visa guidelines are listed below:
GCC NATIONALS
Visa requirements to enter Dubai vary greatly between different nationalities and it is always recommended to check the regulations before traveling. Currently, all nationalities entering the UAE need a visa, except citizens of GCC countries (Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia), expatriate residents of the GCC (certain nationalities and professions ) and British citizens with the right of residence. in the United Kingdom. The following citizens of Europe also receive visas upon arrival citizens of: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Vatican.
Additionally, citizens of Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea in Asia, as well as those of the United States of America and Canada, now also receive visas upon arrival.
Citizens of the CCG can stay more or less as long as they want. British citizens can stay for a month and then apply for a visa for another two months. European, American, South African and Australian citizens can obtain a visit visa at the UAE embassy in their respective countries prior to departure. Please note that Israelis and travelers whose passports bear Israeli stamps will be denied visas.
OTHER NATIONALS
For all other nationalities, a visa must be applied for before the visitor enters the country, either through their respective embassy, a local UAE sponsor, or a local hotel.
TOURIST VISA
This visa is issued through tourist companies and is valid for 30 days. It cannot be renewed or extended. If the holder of the tourist visa stays more than 30 days, that person has to pay a fine per day plus some charges are for an exit pass.
VISA VISA
The visa is issued through the Dubai Residency and Naturalization Department. It is valid for 30 days stamped but it is valid for 60 days and can be extended for 30 more days by paying some amount. The extension must be done before the 60th day. If the visitor stays more than 60 days or more than 90 days (after the extension) they will have to pay a fine per day plus some charges for an exit pass.
Some passport holders can enter the UAE without obtaining a visit visa prior to arrival and stay for up to 30 days.