# Single Status Visa info/ Al AIn



## bubmarley28

Hi Guys.

My wife recently got offered a contract at a hospital in Al Ain on a single status visa. The offer is a really good one compared to what we earn here and we've obviosuly decided to make the move. 

My concern obviously is myself. Can anyone clarify what exactly a single status visa entails? Will I for instance be allowed to work as well based on that visa? Or would a company I apply to have to issue me a separate working visa. 

Secondly, someone mentioned to me that rental in UAE is yearly upfront. Are there any monthly rentals available or is everything done on a yearly payment. My concern is obviously we would need to have that cash upfront. The offer my wife got includes a housing allowance of about 80000 dirhams but it says it will be paid monthly.

Thanks guys


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## LesFroggitts

bubmarley28 said:


> Hi Guys.
> 
> My wife recently got offered a contract at a hospital in Al Ain on a single status visa. The offer is a really good one compared to what we earn here and we've obviosuly decided to make the move.
> 
> My concern obviously is myself. Can anyone clarify what exactly a single status visa entails? Will I for instance be allowed to work as well based on that visa? Or would a company I apply to have to issue me a separate working visa.
> 
> Secondly, someone mentioned to me that rental in UAE is yearly upfront. Are there any monthly rentals available or is everything done on a yearly payment. My concern is obviously we would need to have that cash upfront. The offer my wife got includes a housing allowance of about 80000 dirhams but it says it will be paid monthly.
> 
> Thanks guys


Single status visa is for the sole person who is being sponsored, in this case your wife's sponsorship from her employer.

You would need to arrange your own visit visa until such time as you gain employment, then your new employer would provide you with your own work visa.

If your wife is earning sufficient and is in very specific employment positions it may be possible for her to sponsor you until such time as your gain employment.

Housing can be a variety of 1 to 4 cheques per annum, these cheques will be presented to your landlord at the time of signing the lease.

Alternatively you could look for hotel apartment accommodation on a monthly basis but these are of course more expensive than a property under your own lease.


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## bubmarley28

LesFroggitts said:


> Single status visa is for the sole person who is being sponsored, in this case your wife's sponsorship from her employer.
> 
> You would need to arrange your own visit visa until such time as you gain employment, then your new employer would provide you with your own work visa.
> 
> If your wife is earning sufficient and is in very specific employment positions it may be possible for her to sponsor you until such time as your gain employment.
> 
> Housing can be a variety of 1 to 4 cheques per annum, these cheques will be presented to your landlord at the time of signing the lease.
> 
> Alternatively you could look for hotel apartment accommodation on a monthly basis but these are of course more expensive than a property under your own lease.


Thanks for the response, Les. I'll ask my wife to clarify this as she is flying up next week to finalise things. We were told the whole family would be sponsored. 

Thanks again.


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## rsinner

bubmarley28 said:


> Thanks for the response, Les. I'll ask my wife to clarify this as she is flying up next week to finalise things. We were told the whole family would be sponsored.
> 
> Thanks again.


There is nothing like the whole family getting sponsored. The employee gets sponsored by the company. Then the employee sponsors his or her dependents. The "single status" just means that the company will not reimburse for costs associated with the dependents' visa (however, in AD, the employers are supposed to bear the cost of medical insurance of employee + dependents). For women to sponsor their husbands requires them to earn above a certain threshold and be employed in specific professions.

Re housing - a number of companies provide the yearly housing allowance upfront to employees given the way market works. You will need to check with the employer. In such cases (where upfront allowance is given) usually the allowance will need to be returned pro rata in case the employee leaves during the year.


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## bubmarley28

rsinner said:


> There is nothing like the whole family getting sponsored. The employee gets sponsored by the company. Then the employee sponsors his or her dependents. The "single status" just means that the company will not reimburse for costs associated with the dependents' visa (however, in AD, the employers are supposed to bear the cost of medical insurance of employee + dependents). For women to sponsor their husbands requires them to earn above a certain threshold and be employed in specific professions.
> 
> Re housing - a number of companies provide the yearly housing allowance upfront to employees given the way market works. You will need to check with the employer. In such cases (where upfront allowance is given) usually the allowance will need to be returned pro rata in case the employee leaves during the year.


Okay cool. Understand it now. 

Yes, as per the offer of employment, the medical insurance covers myself and child as well.

I'll ask my wife to clarify with them whether she can sponsor me. She's an occupational therapist but obviosuly no idea if the offer is above the threshold.


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## rsinner

bubmarley28 said:


> I'll ask my wife to clarify with them whether she can sponsor me. She's an occupational therapist but obviosuly no idea if the offer is above the threshold.


For women to sponsor their husbands, there is a salary AND profession criterion (that is, women with only a few professions are allowed to sponsor husbands, but there could be some flexibility). You could google it. The rules/ practices keep changing though.


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## Racing_Goats

Technically I'm not sure how this will work as medical insurance cover can only be provided to uae residents - in practise and my experience Abu Dhabi based companies deal with the visa and sponsorship for their employee's dependents as well as the employee. Whether they claim back the cost depends on the employer.


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## lego

welcome to al ain. i have relatives working as nurses, you can easily ask your employer to pay for you. there are houses here that are rent to be paid per month, or semi-annual. my workmate just just a 2bedroom appartment for 40k/yr, he paid 50%/50%. when I moved here, I told my employer I have no budget for housing, they advanced me 1mos for housing just to settle in. :-D

as your wife's dependent, you are typically what I refer to as wife visa, you should not work, you are not allowed to work by law. but in case someone decided to give you a job, you can convert your wifevisa to work visa (your employer will do that).


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## mgb

My friend was an O/T and she sponsored her husband and kids, so hopefully you should be fine.

BUT, when you find a job, then your new employer must sponsor you and make arrangements for a residency visa (this is not the case if a husband sponsors his wife).

If she is working for government/semi-government then any property you rent will have to have a Tawtheeq lease, which is one stamped by the municipality. If you do not have this then they will not pay the accommodation allowance.

Sounds complicated to start with but once you are here then everything will fall into place and the strange will eventually become normal to you!


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