Dubai Tourist visa

Dubai Tourist visa is issued for a period of 40 days from the date of entry into any UAE port. A visa extension is possible and if you extend the period it will enable you to stay in the country for a total of 60 days.

Overstaying in tourist visa without extension has some problems. If you didn't inform the sponsor or tour agent about the overstay they may file an absconding complaint in the Dubai immigration department. It will attract police case and legal proceedings against you as per the UAE law. I advice the people to renew their visa if they need to overstay for 2 or 3 days in UAE. Overstaying charges are calculated at the time of exit.

If you got an employment offer while on tourist visa then it is possible to apply for a work permit. You will need to exit from the country to complete the work visa procedure.
Tourist visa renewal is possible by directly contacting your sponsor or tourist company from where you got the visa and pay them the required fees. Then they will renew it by online for twenty more days.
source : UAE VISA

UAE Mission Visa

Mission Visa Dubai Abu Dhabi UAE

There are two types of visa which are referred to as Mission Visas in Dubai and the UAE.

1. Special Mission Entry Visa - this is a 16 day visa also known as a Dubai transit visa (but is not the same as a 96 hour transit visa). It is valid for single entry only, and is not renewable. Issued by the DNRD or other UAE NRD.
2. Mission Visa - this is a 90 day visa (not 3 months) for the purposes of allowing expats to work for a short time in the UAE, or for workers on probation, and is applied for at the Labour Department by the sponsoring company. It may be renewable and/or multi-entry (conflicting information supplied by official sources).

Mission Visa Application

• A Mission Visa needs to be applied for at the UAE Ministry of Labour (MOL), not the immigration department / DNRD / FNRD (which is presumably why you won't find it on the DNRD website list of visas).
• Mission Visa application needs to be submitted by the PRO of the sponsoring company.
• Photo and passport are required, after the Temporary Labour Permit is received, the applicant then needs to do a medical test to complete the application and receive something called a Mission Card (presumably equivalent to the Labour Card).
• The Mission Visa is valid 60 days before entry to the UAE, the holder can stay up to 90 days after entry, and it is renewable once for another period of 90 days.
• Cost of Mission Visa is 500-600 dhs, renewing costs another 500-600 dhs (or 1200 dhs according to some sources). When visa rules changed in July 2008, reports said it cost 200 dhs and was not renewable but information received in May 2009 was that it cost 500 dhs and was renewable. Add an update to the Mission Visa Dubai topic if you can clarify. MOL website procedure for Electronic Mission Permit (EMP) says AED 100 application fee + AED 500 for approval + AED 3000 deposit. And for renewal says AED 500 + AED 500 penalty if renewal applied for more than 7 days after expiry of original permit.
• Refundable depost of AED 3000 dhs is required.
• There may be a restriction on job title for female applicants (engineers only?).
• Transferring from Mission Visa to normal work permit and labour card is possible, not clear if employee must leave the UAE or not. Latest information (May 2009) is no, but back in July 2008, Humaid bin Deemas, Acting-General Manager of the MOL, was reported as saying "The engineer must leave the country because the mission visa was issued for three months and extended for three months. Hence, the worker must depart from the country and the company can then apply for an employment visa to bring him back and complete the formalities of either residence or employment visa," (Khaleej Times 22 July 2008).
• If the applicant is already in the UAE (on a tourist or visit visa for example), they might have to leave the UAE to cancel their tourist / visit visa, and re-enter on the Mission Visa.

Other UAE Mission Visa information

• Not clear if Mission Visa is multi-entry or not - MOL website says "If a worker departs from the UAE during the validity period of an EMP, he/she is barred from re-entering the country." but information later received from the MOL indicated that it was a multi-entry visa.
• There is a grace period of 7 days after expiry of the Mission Visa within which the holder must exit the UAE. It would be sensible not to rely on that though. Aim to leave before Mission Visa expiry date then you have a few days in hand if a flight gets cancelled or there's another last minute hiccup.
• On expiry of a Mission Visa (or when the worker exits the UAE), there is no labour ban imposed.
• If a worker on a Mission Visa wants to change jobs, it should be possible to do so without needing a No Objection Letter (NOC), but the worker might need to exit the UAE and enter on a new visa.
• Workers with a Mission Visa in a dispute with their employer should go to the Labour Department to file a complaint.
• Anyone who has been banned from the UAE for a period of time cannot apply for a Mission Visa during the ban period.
• Companies that wish to arrange Mission Visas and are registered with the Ministry of Labour can apply for Mission Visas up to a quota limit of 50% of total number of workers if less than 500 employed, and 100% of total if more than 500 employed. New companies not yet registered with the MOL need to submit a bank guarantee of AED 24,000 to the Ministry of Labour which will allow them to sponsor up to 5 Mission Visas (MOL information, last accessed 27 May 2009).

Getting a visa of UAE

Citizens of Australia, Andorra, Austria, Brunei, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and the Vatican State can get a free-of-charge entry visa upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

GCC citizens do not need a visa to enter the UAE.

Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a Tourist, Transit or Visit Visa prior to their trip. If you are flying with Etihad Airways, a visit visa may be arranged for you upon request. If you have booked your trip through a travel agency, in most cases they will be able to arrange this for you.

Five, four and three star hotels can apply for visas on behalf of guests who have booked a stay with them. Please note that not all five, four and three star hotels have this system in place. Make sure you check with your preferred hotel if they offer this service. This service does not currently apply to guests staying in hotel apartments

While the airline, travel agency and hotel can apply for your visa, please make sure you give yourself enough time for it to be approved, and note that they do not take responsibility if the visa is declined.

Otherwise, you will need to apply for a visa through your nearest UAE embassy. An eye scan will be required at the airport.

For more information on visa types or how to get your visa, visit the Abu Dhabi Government website or call its contact centre on +971 2 666 4442 (800-555 from inside the UAE)

Maid visa costs hit UAE expats

Typing centres say several applications have been rejected over minimum salary stipulation

Abu Dhabi: Confusion prevails over the cost of sponsoring housemaids in Abu Dhabi after many applications were rejected in recent days, XPRESS has learnt.

“Several visa applications were rejected in the last two weeks because we had mentioned the maid’s salary as Dh400. Authorities insist applications must state the minimum prescribed salary of the maid,” said Arif, who runs a typing centre on Al Falah Street in Abu Dhabi.

In some cases, residents said they were asked to pay Dh14,000 instead of the present Dh5,000 in residency visa application fees.

Typing centres and residents say the visa fee has gone up two to three times based on the housemaid’s salary specification against which the visa cost is calculated.

Other typing centres and housemaid recruiting agencies XPRESS spoke to said till a few weeks ago, Dh400 was the standard salary mentioned in all housemaid visa applications irrespective of their original salary.

Hike in fees

“So earlier the application fee for a maid’s residence visa was about Dh5,000. The visa fee was 12 times Dh400, which adds up to Dh4,800 plus Dh200 processing charge, said another typist.

“But it has changed in the last two weeks. We are being asked to put the minimum prescribed salary of Dh1,100 in case of an Indian housemaid. That means the visa fee shoots up to Dh14,000,” he explained.

However XPRESS cannot confirm if maid visa costs are linked to the minimum salaries stipulated by their countries.

Many countries like Philippines, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have set minimum wage benchmarks for housemaids from their countries working abroad. The minimum salary for maids from Philippines is Dh1,400, India 1,100, Sri Lanka Dh825 and Indonesia Dh800.

An Indian family who recently hired a maid from India said they are in deep trouble because of the new salary specification rules. “We brought her to the UAE on April 22 to take care of our newborn. We were told the visa charges will be Dh5,000. But last week when we applied for her residency visa authorities told us it will cost Dh14,000,” said the young woman who did not want to be named. She said they cannot pay so much and neither can they send the maid home.

When this XPRESS journalist, posing as a resident wanting to sponsor a housemaid, checked with Abu Dhabi Immigration, a staff confirmed they were rejecting applications in which the minimum salary is not mentioned.

However, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Abu Dhabi was not immediately available for a comment.

Families who sponsor a housemaid have two months to apply for their residency visa after they enter the UAE. The visa applications must be submitted along with a copy of her medical test, health insurance and Emirates ID.

Respective embassies have to attest a job contract if expatriates or Emiratis wish to sponsor their citizens as housemaids.

For example, to recruit Indian housemaids, the Indian embassy or consulate has to attest the maid’s job contract that mentions her monthly salary (Dh1,100) and other benefits. Also, the maid’s contract with the Indian embassy requires the sponsors to pay a refundable deposit of Dh9,200 to the embassy.

The sponsor also has to incur the cost of the medical test (Dh350), health insurance (Dh600) and Emirates ID (Dh400).

Minimum salary

But when it comes to the visa application fee, typing centres often mention a bare minimum of Dh400 in order to reduce the application fee. Since it is not mandatory to submit the embassy job contract along with the visa application, the original salary of the maid cannot be verified at the GDRFA.

An Indian embassy official told XPRESS that they do not cross-check visa applications and hence have no control over what is mentioned in the application.

Many families said if the increased charges are imposed, it will put them in a tight spot.

“I have had a housemaid for the last five years. If the cost of renewing her visa is going up by two or three times, I have no other option but to send her back to India. That actually means I have to quit my job,” said Sangeetha Mathur, an Indian working woman in Abu Dhabi.

Nihal Rakesh, a businessman, said the new rule will potentially ruin many working women’s careers. “Many women can afford to work because they have maids to take care of their children. Sponsoring a maid is already a complicated and expensive process in the UAE,” said Rakesh.

source : GULFNEWS
 

 

 

How to get a new labour card

The labour card should be obtained within 60 days from the date of arrival in the country and after medicals have been done. In case this is not followed, the employer will have to pay the incurred delay penalties.

Conditions

The employer should not keep any expired labour cards or licences and should ensure that all his establishments have a violation-free record

The employee’s salary in the establishment he/she is going to work for should be proportional to his/her profession in that establishment

All the employer’s establishments should have been unified as per the ministry’s procedures

Required documents

• A photo of the employee
• A copy of the establishment’s valid licence
• A copy of entry visa
• The employee’s valid health certificate
• A copy of signature card
• Three copies of employment contract, provided that they should bear the signatures of the employee and the employer as well as the establishment seal

A labour card is issued for two years (goverment employees for three years) renewable for a similar period with the consent of both the employer and the employee, in which case it should be renewed within 50 days from the date of expiry.

The employer should pay the fees related to the employment contract and labour card as well as the fines incurred by the non-issuance or non-renewal of the card within the given period.

Fees

The labour card fees are included in the fees that have already been paid for obtaining a work permit.

Source: The official portal of Dubai Government (Dubai.ae)
source GULFNEWS

New biometric rule in UAE for Saudi visa-seekers

Dubai: Applicants for visas to Saudi Arabia, including Haj and Umrah pilgrims, who apply from the UAE must now also have their fingerprints and picture taken in addition to regular requirements.

The new rules went into effect on Sunday.

The new biometric enrolment part of the visa application costs Dh17 and is said to speed up entry formalities to the kingdom.

However, those exempt from the biometrics rule include applicants aged below 12 or above 70, diplomatic visa applicants, and those who cannot complete the process for a medical reason.

The UAE is the sixth country where the biometric rule has been introduced and more countries will join the list in a phased roll-out.

Both the fingerprint and picture capture will take a total of three to five minutes.

Applicants must visit one of three VFS Tasheel visa service centres in the UAE — in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Sharjah — which handle Saudi visa applications.

VFS Tasheel is authorised by the Saudi foreign affairs ministry to manage the Saudi visa application process in more than 30 countries.

Company officials said the biometrics rule has been made mandatory by the Saudi ministry, adding the company does not store or use the biometrics data in any way.

Their comments came during a Dubai press conference announcing the development.

Asif Delvi, assistant vice-president of VFS Tasheel, said the biometrics will “definitely make a difference in the time” taken by applications to go through.

However, it will not affect the decision process itself, which is solely taken by the Saudi embassies or consulates, he added.

Delvi said implementing the biometrics within the application process itself means “there will only be a verification process at the [Saudi] airport or border”.

He added that the new rule “makes sure the same person who applied for the visa is the one who is actually travelling to Saudi Arabia. Plus it’s for some background checks the [Saudi foreign ministry] does.”

Also, pilgrims seeking Haj or Umrah visas must visit a visa service centre to have their fingerprints and picture taken. However, their other usual formalities will continue to be handled as routine by an authorised Haj or Umrah agent.

Once the agent completes the pilgrim’s Enjaz process, the agent will need to schedule an appointment with the closest visa centre on the applicant’s behalf.

All visa applicants must book an appointment for the biometrics on the VFS Tasheel website, vfstasheel.com.
Source GULFNEWS

Sponsoring your parents in UAE

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior has started implementing new rules for UAE expats wanting to bring their families on residence visas, Gulf News and XPRESS can reveal.

According to a Federal government source, under revised rules, dependents such as parents and children over 18 years will no longer get visas automatically. Henceforth, such visas will be issued on humanitarian grounds or emergent reasons, said the source who did not want to be named.

Rules for expats sponsoring their wives and children under 18, however remain unchanged. Those earning a minimum of Dh5,000 per month with suitable housing allowance can bring their wife and children under 18 to the UAE on residence visas.

The government source said new measures were introduced following violations and abuse of the previous visa system.

Starting now, all visa applications will be reviewed by a special committee set up by the Ministry of Interior. Residents who earn less than Dh20,000 will not be able to sponsor these visas.

Investor’s visa

Expats holding investor visas wanting to bring their parents or children above 18 years as permanent residents in the UAE must be in business here for at least six months.

They must also provide documents from financial institutions showing their net worth.

The source said new rules were put in place after the Ministry of Interior came across several instances in which residents had violated humanitarian exemption guidelines for parents. “In some cases, the expats were not even qualified to sponsor their families,” he said.

In recent days, several expats applying for permanent visas for their parents have been turned away.

Even those earning above Dh20,000 have not been lucky.

“My mother is a widow, and I have been trying for the last seven months to bring her to Abu Dhabi on a residency visa. My application was rejected several times even after I submitted proof that she was solely dependent on me,” said Indian IT professional Vijay Manikandan, 28, who earns a monthly salary of around Dh25,000.

The public sector employee relocated to Abu Dhabi from Dubai in March this year. His mother, Varalakshmi, 58, was living with him since his father’s death in 1990.

“I took up the Abu Dhabi job after I was assured I can sponsor my mother. But when I approached the immigration desk, I was told I could not sponsor her,” said Manikandan.

Another Abu Dhabi resident, K.L, a Filipino, said his application for sponsoring his widowed mother-in-law was rejected on similar grounds.

“I had documents showing my monthly salary, two bedroom tenancy contract and proof of my mother-in-law’s widowhood.”

When an XPRESS reporter approached the GDRFA office enquiring about sponsorship rules for parents, an official said: “Whether your salary is Dh20,000 or Dh100,000, you cannot sponsor parents in Abu Dhabi.”

Typing centre staff outside GDRFA toed a similar line.

“Abu Dhabi has stopped residency permits for parents of expatriates for more than a year now,” said one of them.

“We don’t know the reason. But they are not accepting any application, regardless of how much one earns,” said another.

Many residents said they are caught in a bind as there is no one to take care of their parents back home.

Bringing them to the UAE on visit visas is expensive and not a feasible solution in the long run, they say.

“I have no option but to fly her [mother] every three months from Chennai, India. It’s an expensive proposition, but I have no choice,” said Manikandan.

“Moreover, she has to stay in India for a month after every three month visit, as the law stipulates,” he added.
Source GULFNEWS.