Visas and sponsorship for Dubai
This was already a minefield, at least for prosecution, but now Dubai Immigration and Naturalization has put together a multi-category list to encompass all types of travellers. The reason behind this is that the ‘visitor visa’, which was given upon entry to certain countries or purchased on the ticket of others, eg the Philippines, was being abused. People entered on a visit visa and, after 30 days, did what is commonly known as a visa run. 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 employment bans, which is a very emotional issue. The law still states that if someone leaves their workplace within the first year, they are subject to an immediate 6-month work ban. This is purely to do with employment and is separate from an immigration ban, which lasts for 1 year and is typically issued for misdemeanors of a serious nature such as theft or other punishable offences.
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 then they could move on to their new employer’s sponsorship.
At this point, it’s safe to say that most management 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 kick people out if they quit or ask for a promotion/raise.
The contract establishes 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 (No Objection Certificate)
The NOC is what is required for ‘safe’ transfer from one job to another. If you choose to leave a company within the term of your contract, and the employer is happy to let you go, you still have to produce a NOC. This is actually a short letter stating the employee’s name and passport number, company details or employer details (if working for an individual) and clearly stating your agreement to allow the employee to transfer to the next employer without prohibition. 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, there is no applicable prohibition.
The visa process
The visa process can be painful, therefore the job is done by a company ‘PRO’ or PR officer (but not in the sense of an advertising or marketing role). If this is a person applying for a housekeeper, driver, etc. visa, there are “company formation” companies that will do this for a fee. The very brave can go to immigration themselves, but this can be a very long and arduous process as you are shunted from desk to desk; to get a signature, pay a deposit, get a typed translation, or wait for a stamp. I wholeheartedly recommend using a new company, using your regular immigration contacts, over coffee!
It is also necessary that the person who has a visa processed has to leave the country to go from the status of a visit visa to the status of a work visa. Previously this could be waived (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. As of this writing, it is still unclear if all nationalities are required to fly to their home country, ie UK, EU and US citizens. In any case, for the visa to be processed, it is necessary to leave Dubai as a procedure, and then return under your new status. This is known as a ‘visa run’. You fly (most commonly) to Qatar (about 45 minutes long), you enter the terminal building, you don’t go through immigration but through transit, you enter the departure lounge and return directly on the same plane that brought you. It was also possible to drive to Hatta (another emirate within the United Arab Emirates) and get your passport stamped there, although the point behind that is that you should drive to the Omani border, but that didn’t always seem to be required.
Doctor
It is a prerequisite to have a medical exam and pass it, before your visa is finally processed. This involves a blood test and a chest X-ray. If you are found to be HIV+ or have Hepatitis C, you will be turned away and deported immediately. This is up for debate, but so far (Sept 2008) the rule remains. It is also essential to have valid medical insurance to enter the country, even with a tourist visa.
Visa’s updated 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 require a visa, except for citizens of GCC countries (Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia), expatriate GCC residents (certain nationalities and professions) and British citizens with right of residence. in the United Kingdom. The following citizens of Europe also receive visas on 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.
In addition, 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.
CCG citizens can stay more or less as long as they like. British citizens can stay for a month and then apply for a visa for a further two months. European, American, South African and Australian citizens can obtain a visit visa from the UAE embassy in their respective countries prior to departure. Please note that Israelis and travelers whose passports have Israeli stamps will be denied a visa.
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 tourist visa holder stays more than 30 days, that person has to pay a fine per day plus some fees for an exit pass.
FOREIGN VISA
The visa is issued through the Dubai Department of Naturalization and Residency. It has a 30-day validity stamp, but it is valid for 60 days and can be extended for another 30 days by paying a certain amount. The extension must be made 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.
Certain passport holders may enter the UAE without obtaining a visit visa prior to arrival and stay for up to 30 days.