Visa for Dubai
Visas and Sponsorship for Dubai
Thiswasalreadyaminefield,atleastfortheprocessing,butnowDubai ImmigrationandNaturalisation,hasdevisedalistofmultiplecategoriesto encompassalltypesoftravelers.Thereasonbehinditisthatthe'visitvisa', whichwasgivenonentryforcertaincountriesorboughtwithaticketfrom otherse.g.ThePakistanis,wasbeingabused.Peoplewereenteringona visitvisaandafter30days,goingonwhatiscommonlyknownasavisa run.Thisistheexerciseofexitingthecountrytocomebackinonanew30 dayvisit Dubai visa for Pakistan citizens andsoitgoeson.
Thiswouldthenflyinthefaceofemploymentbanswhichisaveryemotive subject.Thelawstillstatesthatifanybodyleavestheirplaceof employmentwithinthefirstyear,theyareliableforanimmediate6-month laborban.Thisispurelytodowithemploymentandisseparatefroman Immigrationban,whichis1yearinlengthandnormallyissuedfor misdemeanorsofaseriousnatureliketheftorotherpunishableoffenses.
Toexploitthe6-monthlaborban,manyworkerswouldcontinueworking ona'ban',andjustexitthecountrytwice,untilthebanwasover,andthen theycouldgoontothesponsorshipoftheirnewemployer.
Atthispoint,it'ssafetosaythatmostmanagerialrolesdonotinitiateaban iftheemployeeleaves,andtherearemanygreatcorporationsthatdonot banstaffofanylevel.Thisisrefreshing,astherearesomecompanieswho abusetheruleandthreatentobanpeopleiftheyresignoraskfora promotion/payraise.
Thecontractstatestheroleandmostcommonlyforlower paidstaff,the durationofthecontract.Iftheemployeebreaksthatcontractatanytime, theyareliableforaban.
The NOC (No Objection Certificate)
TheNOCiswhatisrequiredto'safely'transferfromonejobtoanother.If youchoosetoleaveacompanywithinthetermofyourcontract,andthe employerishappytoletyougo,theystillhavetoproduceaNOC.Thisis actuallyabriefletterstatingtheemployee'snameandpassportnumber, thecompany'sdetails,ortheemployer'sdetails(ifworkingforan individual)andclearlywordingtheiragreementtolettheemployee transferwithoutabantothenextemployer.Theemployeeisthensaidto haveobtaineda'release'.Thisletterisshownduringthe apply online
Dubai visa for Pakistan nationals visaprocess,andaslongasaNOCis obtained,thereisnobanapplicable.
The Visa Process
The online Dubai visa for Pakistan passport holders visaprocesscanbe painful,thereforethejobisdonebyacompany'PRO'orpublicrelations officer(butnotinthesenseofanadvertisingormarketingrole).Ifitisan individualapplyingforavisaforahousekeeper,driver,etc,thereare 'companyformation'companieswhowilldothisforafee.Theverybrave cangotoimmigrationthemselves,butthiscanbeaverylongandarduous processasyouarepassedfromonedesktoanother;togetasignature,pay adeposit,getatranslationtyped,orwaitforastamp.Irecommend wholeheartedlyusingastart upcompany,whichusestheirregular contactsatimmigration,whileyouhaveacoffee!
Itisalsonecessaryfortheindividualwho'shavingavisaprocessed,tohave toexitthecountrytogofromvisitvisastatustoworkingvisastatus. Previouslythiscouldbewaived(forsomenationalities)ifyoupaidafee.In thepast,itwasnotnecessarytoflybacktoyourcountryoforigin,butnow morestringentlawsarereintroducingthis.Atthetimeofwritingthis,itis stillnotclearifallnationalitieshavetoflytotheirhomecountryi.e.British, EU,andAmericancitizens.Eitherway,forthevisatobeprocessed,itis
necessarytoexitDubaiasaformality,tothenreturnunderyournew status.Thisisknownasa'visarun'.Youflyout(mostcommonly)toQatar (around45minutesduration),entertheterminalbuilding,donotpass throughimmigrationbutgothroughtransit,enterthedeparturelounge, andcomestraightbackonthesameplanewhichbroughtyouout.Itwas alsopossibletodrivetoHatta(anotherEmiratewithintheUAE)andhave yourpassportstampedthere althoughthepointbehindthatisthatyou shouldbedrivingtotheOmaniborder,thatdidn'talwaysseemtobe enforced.
MEDICAL
Itisaprerequisitetohaveamedicalandpassitbeforeyourvisaisfinally processed.ThisentailsabloodtestandchestX Ray.Ifyouarefoundtobe HIV+orhaveHepatitisC,youwillbeimmediatelyrefusedanddeported. Thisisunderdiscussion,butasyet(September2008)theruleremains.Itis alsoimperativetohavevalidmedicalinsurancetoenterthecountry,even onatouristvisa.
GCC NATIONALS
VisarequirementsforenteringDubaivarygreatlybetweendifferent nationalitiesanditisalwaysadvisedtocheckregulationsbeforetraveling. Currently,everynationalityenteringtheUAEneedsavisaexceptcitizensof GCCcountries(GulfCooperationCouncil:Bahrain,Kuwait,Oman,Qatar,
andSaudiArabia)expatriateresidentsoftheGCC(certainnationalitiesand professions),andBritishcitizenswithrightsofabodeintheUK.The followingcitizensofEuropealsoreceivevisasonarrivalcitizensof Andorra,Austria,Belgium,Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,Greece, Iceland,Ireland,Italy,Liechtenstein,Luxembourg,Monaco,the Netherlands,Norway,Portugal,SanMarino,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland, andtheVatican.
Inaddition,nationalsfromAustralia,Brunei,HongKong,Japan,Malaysia, NewZealand,Singapore,andSouthKoreainAsia,aswellasthosefromthe UnitedStatesofAmericaandCanadaalsonowreceiveVisasonarrival.
GCCnationalscanstaymoreorlessaslongastheylike.Britishcitizenscan stayforamonthandthenapplyforavisaforafurthertwomonths. European,American,SouthAfrican,andAustraliancitizensmayobtaina visitvisafromtheUAEembassyintheirrespectivecountriesbefore departure.PleasenotethatIsraelisandtravelerswhosePassportsbear Israelistampswillbedeniedavisa.
OTHER NATIONALS
Forallothernationalities,avisamustbeappliedforbeforethevisitor entersthecountryeitherthroughtheirrespectiveembassy,alocalUAE sponsor,oralocalhotel.
