# Expiring Tourist visa - delayed Employment/Entry visa



## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

I am currently in the UAE on a tourist visa. Stay has been extended to the maximum limit permissable and is due to expire next week. Employment visa application (Ras Al Khaimah, non-FreeZone) has been in process for close to 2 months now. All paperwork has been attested and submitted, security approval obtained, etc.. but the last step of actually issuing the paper visa is holding things up (yes, I know I will have to do a visa run as my current tourist visa doesn't permit change of status). 

The company says that this situation is not entirely uncommon and they recommend that I simply remain in the UAE and proceed with business as usual until the employment/entry visa is issued. They will then pay the relevant fine/fees to regularise my status. I have been employed by the same parent company at another location, so I continue to be paid from there and currently living in company owned accommodation in Dubai at their expense, so I have no reason to doubt the company's good intentions in this matter. Much wasta is being expended to drive the process but I still have some concerns.

My main concerns are twofold :

a) My line of work often requires security clearances in various countries - is being an over-stayer here considered a "criminal" offence that I may need to declare in the future and that might cause me problems?

b) What could actually happen to me if I was stopped/detained for overstaying in the interim? Would I go to jail? Be deported? Fined? Do the police ever conduct immigration status stops?


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

The same happened to me for my current visa. Once the visa was obtained (and presumably a fine paid) it is business as usual. Not a criminal offense AS LONG AS the application is in process, the fine is paid and you get the visa.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

Employment visa for 2 months? What is taking so long?
Anyway, like the other poster said, you have nothing to worry about, and I am sure that is a relief to you since I don't think Indian passport holders can do the visa run since visa on arrival is extended to Indians (racist, I know)....


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

indoMLA said:


> Employment visa for 2 months? What is taking so long?


Too many holidays in December/January I guess! 



> I don't think Indian passport holders can do the visa run since visa on arrival is extended to Indians (racist, I know)....


Indeed. Also, since I am currently on a tourist visa, if I exit the country before the Employment/Entry visa is issued then I will receive an entry ban equal to the duration of my previous stay in the UAE. So it is really not a choice to exit and re-enter until the visa is issued - I have to wait for the physical paper and then do a two-step to Kish Island or something (or maybe go visit my parents in India for the weekend).


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

As an update to this, I was told the day my visa was due to expire that I needed to exit the country in a hurry so the new visa could be issued. So I flew out to India a few minutes before midnight and now almost a week later we are still waiting for the visa. The update from immigration in RAK is "maybe less than one week, maybe more than one week, Inshallah".

Security clearance (which is usually the big delay) has been completed, so I'm not really sure what the hold could be. This is the first time that our company is doing a RAK visa (our Dubai office is a FZE but this is a JV LLC with a local partner) so even our PRO is a bit confused.

Any ideas?


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

sm105 said:


> Any ideas?


Kick back, relax, "work from home" or from the friendly neigbourhood watering hole. 

Not sure if you can do anything to speed up the process, except to ask the PRO to enlist the help of someone who knows the system and people in RAK


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Having worked in RAK for 3 years until recently, this really isn't a new thing at all. I suspect it has everything to do with the application being the first made in RAK by your company. PRO's that have developed a nice accord with immigration get things done within a day (personal experience), whereas newer ones are given a bit of a run around for good measure ... Just do the kicking back routine mentioned above.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Well, update this morning from RAK Immigration is that my name is on some sort of immigration black list so they cannot process my visa.

Not quite sure what this means. I obviously was not on a blacklist as recently as last month when my visa was extended, and indeed obtained my security clearance as recently as 10 days ago.

The company is escalating this matter now via some contacts in Abu Dhabi, but I'm curious as to why my name may have suddenly appeared on an immigration blacklist? I've never worked before in the UAE, so there is no issue with previous employers and cancelled visas or any of the usual stories.

Also, does anyone have any idea how long these things may take to resolve? Or even if they can be resolved?


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## Safwanish (Jan 29, 2014)

sm105 said:


> Well, update this morning from RAK Immigration is that my name is on some sort of immigration black list so they cannot process my visa.
> 
> Not quite sure what this means. I obviously was not on a blacklist as recently as last month when my visa was extended, and indeed obtained my security clearance as recently as 10 days ago.
> 
> ...


I work in tourism business. We issue visit visas for many individuals on daily basis. I don't know why but many of our people's name sometimes get flagged by government system as 'blacklisted'. 99% of the time, the person isn't actually blacklisted but simply shares a similar name with someone else who have been actually blacklisted. It's actually quite common and easily resolvable.

As you say, you haven't committed any crime or anything of that sort. Then you are in the clear here. It should take a single visit to the immigration office with your passport copy to get your name cleared from the blacklist-thing.

But as I read more onto this thread the more I realize that your company is slacking so freaking bad. I mean, I've personally issued visas for many of my employees. The process takes 2-3 weeks tops even if I am lazy. I'm not too sure about RAK since I mainly operate in Dubai. But this is no real threat, as long as company truly intent to bring you into the country they will sort it out. But I have witnessed many horror stories myself to be optimist. heh.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Safwanish said:


> I work in tourism business. We issue visit visas for many individuals on daily basis. I don't know why but many of our people's name sometimes get flagged by government system as 'blacklisted'. 99% of the time, the person isn't actually blacklisted but simply shares a similar name with someone else who have been actually blacklisted. It's actually quite common and easily resolvable.


Thanks for the reassurance. Our PRO said the same thing to me today, but given his not so spectacular performance so far with the visa process I was inclined to take his views with a rather large pinch of salt! 



> I realize that your company is slacking so freaking bad. I mean, I've personally issued visas for many of my employees. The process takes 2-3 weeks tops even if I am lazy. I'm not too sure about RAK since I mainly operate in Dubai. But this is no real threat, as long as company truly intent to bring you into the country they will sort it out. But I have witnessed many horror stories myself to be optimist. heh.


I couldn't agree more. I think our problems have come about from assuming erroneously that everything in RAK would be similar to our usual smooth JAFZA visa process, and it obviously isn't.

As for the company's intent on bringing me into the country, I am already employed by the parent group on an expat contract at our office in another country and am on secondment to this project until the residence visa is issued. So they are still paying me full salary even while this is dragging on - there is no cost or otherwise benefit to the company to delay this. I tend to believe this is more a case of bureaucratic bungling and incompetence than any sort of conspiracy theory.


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## Safwanish (Jan 29, 2014)

Sounds good man. Good luck.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

CEO got involved. Much wasta expended. Visa was issued this afternoon and I'm on a plane back to Dubai in a few hours. Inshallah, all will go smoothly from here.


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## Safwanish (Jan 29, 2014)

sm105 said:


> CEO got involved. Much wasta expended. Visa was issued this afternoon and I'm on a plane back to Dubai in a few hours. Inshallah, all will go smoothly from here.


Glad to hear it all worked out.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Well, it didn't go as smoothly as I would have hoped.

Arrived at the immigration counter and something obviously rang an alarm bell there. Two police officers showed up, took my passport and instructed me to "come". Spent 45 minutes in a holding cell while they made phone calls and chattered in Arabic.

Turns out there was a typo in the Arabic transliteration of my name which caused a possible match for some guy wanted for murder in Abu Dhabi. Was eventually released and told to get the typo corrected before the residence visa is stuck in my passport in order to avoid future problems on every entry.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

sm105 said:


> Well, it didn't go as smoothly as I would have hoped. Arrived at the immigration counter and something obviously rang an alarm bell there. Two police officers showed up, took my passport and instructed me to "come". Spent 45 minutes in a holding cell while they made phone calls and chattered in Arabic. Turns out there was a typo in the Arabic transliteration of my name which caused a possible match for some guy wanted for murder in Abu Dhabi. Was eventually released and told to get the typo corrected before the residence visa is stuck in my passport in order to avoid future problems on every entry.


At least you know now what the issue was. Happy to hear it's sorted.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

So my saga with getting a residence visa continues.

Since I got back here 2 weeks ago, we've done the medicals, health card, Emirates ID application, found an apartment, etc... Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until now.

Our PRO has suddenly told me today that in order to apply for a residence visa, I need to provide him with my last 3 months worth of utility bills. Obviously, I cannot do this because I have not been resident here for the last 3 months. He also says that I need to get a notarised copy of my tenancy agreement. Which of course I can't get because I don't have a residence permit yet. Without these, he says that he cannot proceed with any application.

After his less than stellar performance with the process to date, I really don't know whether to believe him or not. I cannot believe that everyone resident in RAK has to go through this ridiculous chicken-and-egg routine.

Does anyone have any experience with RAK residence visa processing that can advise about this?


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Final update (I hope) for this thread.

Residence visa finally issued, ironically with the same spelling mistake in English that the Employment visa had. Basically they took the Arabic spelling mistake and used it to type the English name and then corrected the Arabic spelling to the correct name.

Even Immigration seem a bit embarassed by this. The guy suggested I just get an e-gate card to avoid this becoming an issue ever again!


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## AugustChristopher (Jul 24, 2013)

Congrats! 

Just a quick word concerning the e-gate though: some countries require to see a physical exit stamp of the UAE before you may cross into their borders...and may not accept the explanation that you exited through the e-Gate...I'd recommend you check before travelling using the e-gate...
Cheers.


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## Safwanish (Jan 29, 2014)

I too have a wrong name stated in my labor card. Not sure why but it repeats my last name twice, once as in last name and once as in father's name. weird. I'd be getting new one soon anyways, so I'll probably get it fixed.


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