# Avoiding Residence Visa Nightmare



## Roadworrier

Some things to think about if your sponsor / employer is filing for a residence visa in Abu Dhabi instead of the other Emirates(e.g., Dubai).

First of all my work entry permit was for Abu Dhabi since our company is registered there, but I will likely be living in Dubai. There is one significant difference in the entry requirements for AD - your employer has to demonstrate insurance coverage. Yes, they can produce an application and certificate for the UAE - but Abu Dhabi requires your insurance company to submit a separate application (same form as for the rest of the UAE, but must be handwritten and they ask more detailed questions about your past). It then goes through Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) which takes 2-3 days to process and then your company's insurance company, unless they are particularly under pressure from your PRO, may take some more time.

Abu Dhabi may also be less likely to grant a residence visa if you are from Egypt (like a coworker of mine) or from Iran. My Egyptian coworker (who had a US green card) had no trouble getting a Dubai visa after getting shafted on the AD visa. Yes, this is all the same country, but the processes and scrennings seem to be handled by completely different sets of people and with completely different sets of rules.

Bottom line is the time to get an AD residence visa will be longer and the ability to get it is more strictly limited.

I'm mentioning this because of my nightmare this week, as I had to make a short trip to the UAE. I was informed they finally had my pink visa ready but then the PRO company emailed me during my layover in Germany on the way here that now I was stuck here until everything was clear (I have to get back by Friday this week so we can move out of our house in the US.)....Gee I wish they could have let me know that beforehand. Although they got me through the health screening and Emirates ID screening on Monday within 90 minutes (as quick as it gets), including whatever typing has to be done on the ID application form, it takes about 4 hours (and a text from SEHA) that the health certificate is ready. That then has to go to the health insurance company. 

In the meantime, make sure your sponsor is in the country or has deputized someone in his organization or family who is in the country with power of attorney so he can sign the appropriate labor contract and other documents. So that's yet more time that can get blown.

ANd now finally the separate AD health certificate. Everything was ready and in order this morning (Wednesday) but the insurance company said he can't rush HAAD - "they are a Ministry and take 2 to 3 days". Well so I'm down to the wire. Can a residence visa get processed from permitted entry to residence visa stamp in four calendar days? Tune in. Gee if they could have only had the pink form ready 2 months ago when I could actually be here for an extended period.....


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## AEE12

Roadworrier said:


> Some things to think about if your sponsor / employer is filing for a residence visa in Abu Dhabi instead of the other Emirates(e.g., Dubai).
> 
> First of all my work entry permit was for Abu Dhabi since our company is registered there, but I will likely be living in Dubai. There is one significant difference in the entry requirements for AD - your employer has to demonstrate insurance coverage. Yes, they can produce an application and certificate for the UAE - but Abu Dhabi requires your insurance company to submit a separate application (same form as for the rest of the UAE, but must be handwritten and they ask more detailed questions about your past). It then goes through Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) which takes 2-3 days to process and then your company's insurance company, unless they are particularly under pressure from your PRO, may take some more time.
> 
> Abu Dhabi may also be less likely to grant a residence visa if you are from Egypt (like a coworker of mine) or from Iran. My Egyptian coworker (who had a US green card) had no trouble getting a Dubai visa after getting shafted on the AD visa. Yes, this is all the same country, but the processes and scrennings seem to be handled by completely different sets of people and with completely different sets of rules.
> 
> Bottom line is the time to get an AD residence visa will be longer and the ability to get it is more strictly limited.
> 
> I'm mentioning this because of my nightmare this week, as I had to make a short trip to the UAE. I was informed they finally had my pink visa ready but then the PRO company emailed me during my layover in Germany on the way here that now I was stuck here until everything was clear (I have to get back by Friday this week so we can move out of our house in the US.)....Gee I wish they could have let me know that beforehand. Although they got me through the health screening and Emirates ID screening on Monday within 90 minutes (as quick as it gets), including whatever typing has to be done on the ID application form, it takes about 4 hours (and a text from SEHA) that the health certificate is ready. That then has to go to the health insurance company.
> 
> In the meantime, make sure your sponsor is in the country or has deputized someone in his organization or family who is in the country with power of attorney so he can sign the appropriate labor contract and other documents. So that's yet more time that can get blown.
> 
> ANd now finally the separate AD health certificate. Everything was ready and in order this morning (Wednesday) but the insurance company said he can't rush HAAD - "they are a Ministry and take 2 to 3 days". Well so I'm down to the wire. Can a residence visa get processed from permitted entry to residence visa stamp in four calendar days? Tune in. Gee if they could have only had the pink form ready 2 months ago when I could actually be here for an extended period.....


Hey there,

Sorry to hear about all this.  That's true that things take time to work out in here. I also have a AD residency visa and I was able to get my hands on it in one month not less (Everything starts first with the health screening. I paid extra 100AED to go on to the "Fast Track" option which speeds up things. Recommended for newbies reading this thread.) Some friends of mine got the RV in two months. I guess I was lucky then. 

Also, we are just out of the Ramadan month where working hours were very short and things are just starting to speed up back to its "regular" pace. Hopefully, you can get your visa done as soon as possible. Try to keep positive while being patient, even though I know it is tough. Best of luck!


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## Roadworrier

The problem in all this is being without your passport, having to go thru hell opening a bank account (let alone renting an apartment or villa, etc) because you don't have all your original documents and you need letters, proofs, etc. That is what is scaring me right now, and right now I have a good mind to stop the process and reapply in Dubai. It would almost be less painful than what I am dealing with in AD.


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## AEE12

Roadworrier said:


> The problem in all this is being without your passport, having to go thru hell opening a bank account (let alone renting an apartment or villa, etc) because you don't have all your original documents and you need letters, proofs, etc. That is what is scaring me right now, and right now I have a good mind to stop the process and reapply in Dubai. It would almost be less painful than what I am dealing with in AD.


Hmm, I would suggest wait a little bit more instead of starting it all over for Dubai. You might get it faster in there, but then will you rent an apartment in Dubai and commute everyday? Starting from 2013, there will be strict restrictions on speed limits in AD roads (no buffer zone of extra 20kmh anymore) and then it will take even longer to commute. 

I wish you had a colored scan of your passport before you handed it in. Or have you? Because I couldn't even book a hotel during my waiting period since the copy of my passport that I had was only black/white and they didn't accept it. But still, for anything more serious you will need the original passport. I say just wait a few more days, check back with them frequently (put pressure!) and if you can not see a light at the end of the tunnel then proceed with Dubai, if you like. Hopefully, things will be ok for you soon...


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## Jynxgirl

Most people do not have the option of picking where they want their visa to be issued. Odd that it sounds like you can just pick?? I wouldnt suggest anyone hand in their passport until they have gotten a savings account, rented a vehicle, got a hotel longish term you are satisfied with, and can sit without your passport for 25 to 30 days minimum. Is odd that you have a permitted entry stamp?? and not a tourist visa?? One week would be crazy crazy fast. Two weeks is quite a good pro. Three to four weeks is about average. Would think they would of asked if you needed to leave the country quickly, before they started this process ??? Nothing happens fast in the uae usually. Hope you get yours completed in time to go home and help move. 

Egyptians, palastenians, iranians, pakistanis, bangladeshians, and others are having nightmares getting visas issued in AD. I know sharjah is cracking down as well currently on certain passports. Dubai did for a while but havent heard anything lately, that isnt to say, people are not also being denied here as they are hush hush on this type of stuff. One would think qualifications to do a job that needs done, would be enough.... but it isnt so if you have one of the less desirable passports. 

That buffer removal is going to be interesting times.... Inshallah, our company hr will see the light and finally move us back to abu dhabi. People slamming down from 160 to 170 down to 140 is awful. Can only imagine them going down to 120 in that quick a time. Accidents waiting to happen.


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## ADEXPAT

I think it really depends on your employer. I don't believe the process is the same for every company. For instance my emirates ID was completely handled by my employer. I just had to go for the picture and finger prints, no typing centers or questionnaire to fill out on my part. Then it was issued the following week. My visa was done very quick as well. I notified my employer I was leaving for a priorly arranged vacation and request a expedite on the process as I needed my passport to fly. They took my passport and 2 days later I got it back all finished. Mind you this is a government affiliated company. your companies procedures are most likely different then any others.


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## AlexDhabi

I expect things slowed down for your paperwork due to Eid and then Ramadan. The next week or two should see visas that have been delayed appearing. 
BTW I am not aware of anyone who can choose which Emirate processes their residence visa.


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## Roadworrier

I mention the "choice" because our company incorporated its local office in Abu Dhabi, but its first employee got rejected for Abu Dhabi visas (Egyptian citizen with US green card). The PRO then applied and got him accepted in Dubai, very little problem and very quick.

As for me (American-born of European extraction), my company applied the 3rd week of June for me in Abu Dhabi, and the process worked out (slowly). But still it has been close to 3 months so it has not been rapid-fire by any stretch of the imagination. Although the timing stunk as the pink entry permit showed up after my main summer stint in the sandlands - but ahead of what should have been a short return trip to take care of some meetings prior to my move out of my house in the States. If the implications had been advised prior to me boarding the plane, I would have cancelled the trip and done a soft shoe with my government client, indicating there were "visa troubles". I would have waited to do all this after I came out here with my wife in a few weeks.

To my PRO's credit, they got me through all the blood testing, Emirates ID, and insurance stuff within 2 days. If this had been a Dubai visa, that would have been it. The med certificate was actually ready Monday PM and was submitted to the HAAD for their own certification (something which is not needed in Dubai or other Emirates). It is basically HAAD and the insurance company (who will not issue a health card to AD residents without getting the redundant HAAD certification) who have put my life on hold for now. HAAD is supposed to take 2-3 days but they do not have a "fast-track" or "VIP" service that can be arranged through the PRO as with the other steps to the process. 

As I've learned you can't just cancel the visa. So the PRO gave back my passport and pink permit, and I was told I could show up at the airport and get put in a holding cell if I tried to leave with my passport and pink permit, or I could stay in a cushy hotel and be a prisoner in paradise until it all gets resolved. So I got a reasonably priced hotel near the Corniche (Sheraton Khalidiya) to cool my heels and supervise our move in the states from long distance in a seaview room (my wife and dog managed to survive the move and we are still on speaking terms). 

So now we'll see what Sunday brings.


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## Roadworrier

Jynxgirl said:


> Most people do not have the option of picking where they want their visa to be issued. Odd that it sounds like you can just pick?? I wouldnt suggest anyone hand in their passport until they have gotten a savings account, rented a vehicle, got a hotel longish term you are satisfied with, and can sit without your passport for 25 to 30 days minimum. Is odd that you have a permitted entry stamp?? and not a tourist visa?? ........
> 
> ......That buffer removal is going to be interesting times.... Inshallah, our company hr will see the light and finally move us back to abu dhabi. People slamming down from 160 to 170 down to 140 is awful. Can only imagine them going down to 120 in that quick a time. Accidents waiting to happen.


They do stamp your passport the way they do a tourist visa, along with the stamp on the pink permit.......but the permit is "in the system" the moment it is issued. So one cannot leave just on a passport if the residence visa process is not completed.

Slightly offthread is my response to your comment on the AD speed limit enforcement:

Yeah, that was a consideration. I guess now I don't have to worry about having getting a Bugatti Veyron, and can stick with a Qashqai or Sportage or something cheaper.  Living in AD vs. Dubai is kind of a tough decision for me that my wife ended up making. She wants to be where the action is (shopping, waterparks, other western expats, attractions to take visiting relatives to). But also, we will have our dog with us, so we cannot live in a high-rise flat (if we could, Dubai Marina is a no brainer, but interestingly I see that AD has almost as many good choices now that Dubai has, even if you exclude Reem Island, which to me is a skyscraper graveyard). 

Which leaves villas. Here Dubai continues to have AD beat hands down in terms of price and variety, although in both cities, there are painfully sharp tradeoffs between price, amenities, size, condition, and location (3 out of 5 is probably the best one can do). The one AD villa development that is somewhat affordable compared to Dubai is Al Reef, on the edge of AD airport but not far from Yas Island and Al Raha Beach. Al Reef is a strange and scary blend of the Springs and Discovery Gardens. A brand new 3 bedroom villa for 110k per year or less may be wonderful, but the bedrooms are small and there are ZERO closets. HUH???? As a spoiled American I don't think of closets as something you have to go buy at IKEA. We would have to get a 4 bedroom just so we could convert the 4th bedrooom into a walk-in closet. And I also do not like overlooking windswept labor camps just outside the development (plus I detest this whole labor camp idea anyway given my father's family escaped Europe before WWII to avoid those and worse). 

Even the villas that are 160k-180k in AD usually require drives through aesthetically miserable areas (camps, junkyards, auto repair shops) to get to them.

So Dubai it is even with an AD residence visa. I will have it this week....I will have it this week......think positive........I will have it this week.........


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## AlexDhabi

*Camps*



Roadworrier said:


> I detest this whole labor camp idea ...


You comment sounds naive. Labour/labor camps are NOT concentration camps! They are accommodation zones for large numbers workers, mainly, but not exclusively, in the construction industry. Camps are not just for labourers either. In the Western Region even engineers stay in rooms in camps. Given the rate of development in the UAE the camps are needed and will remain.


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## stevieb143

I am in the process of moving back to the UAE my first Visa in Dubai took 5 working days to complete. But my current job offer has taken 9 month to go through all of the official channels in Abu Dhabi and I am concerned that the process is not going to be that quick in Abu Dhabi.


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## Roadworrier

stevieb143 said:


> I am in the process of moving back to the UAE my first Visa in Dubai took 5 working days to complete. But my current job offer has taken 9 month to go through all of the official channels in Abu Dhabi and I am concerned that the process is not going to be that quick in Abu Dhabi.


It took me 6 working days for AD (finally got it yesterday) after a 2 month long application process (in part due to a sponsor who was rarely in the country). Much depends on your company's PRO. Mine seemed to know how to pull strings except when dealing with the insurance or HAAD. Once the health insurance is approved, it is basically how good your timing is getting to the visa/naturalization office. The HAAD approval process (not needed if you apply in other Emirates) took longer. 

AD also reflexively is rejecting people born in certain countries, even if they are executive level or senior technical people (eg a colleague who is a US citizen but born in Iran got rejected for a visa even though he is a company VP and a PhD. Another colleague is Egyptian and had to reapply in Dubai after AD turned him down last year. Also an experienced engineer with a PhD.)


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## currently_indian

Roadworrier said:


> Some things to think about if your sponsor / employer is filing for a residence visa in Abu Dhabi instead of the other Emirates(e.g., Dubai).
> 
> ANd now finally the separate AD health certificate. Everything was ready and in order this morning (Wednesday) but the insurance company said he can't rush HAAD - "they are a Ministry and take 2 to 3 days". Well so I'm down to the wire. Can a residence visa get processed from permitted entry to residence visa stamp in four calendar days? Tune in. Gee if they could have only had the pink form ready 2 months ago when I could actually be here for an extended period.....


I am in the same trap. I thought that all processing would be done within a week but it is turning out to be nightmare. I applied for Emirates ID, VIP medical and got test results and stamped emirates ID receipt same day. The very next day early morning I went to PRO and submitted all the documents and they applied for Daman insurance. Probably health card has come yesterday as they say on phone and tell me residence visa would be applied on Sunday or Monday. I am not sure if HAAD approval for insurance is required or may be it has already taken place in 5 working days of Daman health card ? And they say residence visa stamping will take maximum of 5 working days in urgent package (I payed for Urgent). I am getting very anxious sitting all day in a hotel & away from family and now its weekend. I will see on Sunday and if residence visa stamping is not processed on Sunday, would ask the PRO to cancel the visa and will move back to India !


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## Dude McRocker

Does anyone have experience getting their Residence visa through CCAD as the employer?


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## trinhhhao

Hello,
I just received the offer by email from ADNOC few days ago. The offer is a one-page contract with nowhere to sign which is unusual from offers in USA, CAN and AUSSIE. The contract only stated the position, lump sum compensation and few additional benefits. I read few others having problems with similar contract as direct hire with lump sum with regards to housing and resident visa so I try to delay accepting the offer and hope to hear your advice. 

Do I get the whole lump sum payment every month as stated in the contract? or only the basic salary and supplement allowances? I heard some expats have experienced with the housing allowance by taking care renting the house themselves. Is it advisable to do so? Do I get the housing and other allowances in cash as stated in the contract every month? or the company pays it directly to the landlord and school? Should I delay the move until AE resident visa is done? Does the company take care of the resident visa for my family when they get there? I am currently working in Algeria for a short term contract which could last up to June 2016. How long does it take to complete the whole recruitment process before I receive the "GO" message from ADNOC?

Your thoughts, experiences are much appreciated.
Thanks


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