# South African woman sponsoring husband and child - advice needed



## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

I have just moved to Dubai as I have a job here. I travelled on a an employment visa and my husband and child on a tourist visa with the aim of applying to sponsor them once my Residency visa comes through. Only problem is that we can only extend the tourist visas by 30 days so we have a total of 60 days to get the residency visa and apply for sponsorship. If the tourist visas expire before the sponsorship is done (which apparently takes a week) they will have to return home and cannot reapply for another visa for 1 month. This whole process is really stressing me out as I have to wait for my labour contract from the government which can take up to 60 days just to arrive. 

My husband has been for an interview but the position will only become available on the 1st Dec.

I do not want to send my family home after all the effort and money we put into getting here and I definitely would not cope without them for a month as my daughter is only 18 months old.

If anyone on this forum can give me advice or knows of a woman that has gone through the same process please could you put them in touch with me. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated......


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

What do you do Sarah? Only women in certain positions are able to sponsor their husbands - your daughter you won't have an issue with.

It doesn't take very long to get it all sorted - your residency if your PRO is on the ball should only take a few days, your company should then assist you with your family.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

I moved your thread to the main forum, it helps it getting relevant responses. Also check out this thread for some good info:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...onsoring-husbands.html?highlight=wife+sponsor


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## AK47 (Feb 16, 2012)

Give DNRD a call. You have to be earning a certain amount before you can sponsor your family. I have always called them and they have always given me correct information on the process required. A lady in my office was in the same situation, she required a Letter from the company as well as a NOC. All of these requirements will be best explained by DNRD. 
Good Luck!

http://dnrd.ae/en/Pages/Home.aspx


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

Thank you.

I do not fall into the special category of women with specific jobs like doctors etc but I do earn more than 10000 so I am able to sponsor them. So I am told....

The guy dealing with my residency at my company put fear into my heart so I am very scared of something going wrong and having to send my family home

Does anyone know how long they have waited for a labour contract?

I was told I needed my labour contract and tenancy contract to sponsor my family.

If the visas did not expire I would not be so worried...


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## AK47 (Feb 16, 2012)

If their Visas expire before you get all your documents you can get an extension for them and do a visa run through Oman border. Do check this with DNRD as well, as a few people in my office from South Africa have done this as well.


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## Bruce Stephen (Oct 2, 2013)

Hoho


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Bruce Stephen said:


> Hoho


??..


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I hate to make matters worse but you are losing out on a week next week with Eid too. Why can't they overstay and just pay the fine when the visa is converted?


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

I know. The Eid week is going to make the whole process longer. I am worried about this.

I spoke to someone who knows a South African and said that she wanted to do a Visa run to Oman but it was not possible for non GCC countries. Anyone know about this?

Tried calling the DNRD call centre and they had closed already so I will try again tomorrow...


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

What is the fine? And is it possible to do it without getting a ban?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

South African passport holders can't do visa runs because they don't get visas on arrival. I can't remember how much the daily fine is but it's not that much and I've never heard of anyone getting a ban on a visit visa.


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## Klaaf (Jul 7, 2013)

I did the Visa run to Oman, and am South African. Had to be a flight in, through transfers, and out on same plane. About 50 people took the same plane, and about 45 did the Visa run. 

Wife is sponsoring me too, longest thing was finding a place to stay and getting the tenant contract. In total it took about 3 weeks after arrival.


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks Klaaf!

That makes me feel a little better. Just needed to know it is possible. How long did it take for your wife to get her residency? Did you get the sponsorship done within 60 days?


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## Klaaf (Jul 7, 2013)

To be honest, your company and PRO push this, you hardly get involved except the medical. The wife's was done in a week, just before Ramadan. Mine had to wait for the tenant contract.

The wife is in HR, so isn't a doctor, etc but has her Masters Degree, and we had zero problem getting my Visa. Tourist Visa was for 30 days from the hotel, could be extended for another 30 days if needed. My Visa took less than a week during Ramadan (needed the tenant contract for sponsorship).

Make sure your company and PRO understand your concerns. Either way, your family will need to leave on the tourist visa and enter on resident visa.


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

It seems to me that since you are able to sponsor your family, the issue is with your husband who will have a job in the near future and therefore is just looking for a relatively short term stop-gap measure. I note that Klaaf didn't do a tourist "visa run" but a change of status from tourist to residency; I think you'll find that what other people have said in here still stands - your husband won't be able to get another tourist visa at the airport/border without spending a month out of the country. So why not do what Klaaf seems to have done, put your husband on your visa (if you both go down to DNRD yourselves you can get it done within 2/3 days although you'll have to pay for it of course). I have found them to be very efficient especially if you're down there early in the morning. The personal touch, especially from a lady always helps.
Once your husband gets a job, you just need to cancel his dependent's visa (which takes about a day at DNRD, 3 in a free zone) and then go through the normal process with his new company to apply for his residency. If I remember correctly, you get a month from cancellation to leave the country - and if you pay AED 500 (or so) then they can just change his status at DNRD, he won't need to leave the country.


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## Klaaf (Jul 7, 2013)

100% correct, I exited on a tourist Visa, and entered on a Residence Visa. Total process from start to finish was 3 weeks, of the first week being my wife's Visa (Free Zone if it means anything), and then just waiting for the tenant contract to come through so she could sponsor my residency which was about 2 weeks.

From landing in Dubai, to both of us having residency, a villa, and drivers licenses, was 4 weeks, of which 50% of the time was the reduced working hours during Ramadan. The stress areas for us was waiting for the tenant contract as the wife's company signs the lease, so their legal team was involved, etc, and had to go back to SA for signing.

I agree with the going early morning, but am sure your PRO will advise you if they are any good.


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## domink (Jun 4, 2008)

As one earlier poster suggested, please do give DNRD a call, I've called their helpline a few times to clarify issues on visa sponsorship and bans and they were incredibly helpful, very detailed in explaining process and documentation as well as clarifying fines and procedures in the case of delays. The helpline number is 8005111, well worth a shout.


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