# church and marriage



## EDI11

Hi, I have a job opportunity in the UAE, specifically in Sharjah as an IT engineer.
My girlfriend and I have been together for a long time and I am considering taking her with me.
Would it be a problem if we lived together without being married over there?
She is major in art and had some experience in graphic design. Could she obtain a work permit easily over there?
She goes to church regularly, could she do that over there (if there is any church)?


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## pamela0810

Cohabitation outside of marriage is against the law. Doesn't mean that people don't do it, just keep in mind that if you do get into any sort of trouble and the authorities find out; you will be arrested. I recommend that you err on the side of caution.

There are Churches of different denominations in the UAE. You can do a quick google search to find out which ones are in Sharjah.

With regard to the job, it is a tricky one as many graphic designers here are from Asia and work for relatively lower salaries. There are many multinational companies that hire based on qualification and experience rather than race, but there are also plenty that will do anything to keep their costs down. Then there are those that only want "white" folks irrespective of their qualification level. So, as you can see, there is no consistent hiring pattern. Your girlfriend will only learn through the experience of a good job search where she stands within her industry.


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## AlexDhabi

If you want her to live with you in Sharjah you have to get married before you leave your home country. Also make sure you have married allowances in your compensation package.
Getting a first job in UAE without experience will be almost impossible for anyone other than Emiratis (locals). Work visa is provided by employer.
There are churches in UAE.


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## maca1981

Generally speaking Sharjah is more conservative when it comes to lifestyle in general...

For you to be able to make a good decision, on how suitable Sharjah or any other emirate of the UAE is, you should definitely first visit. Come for a few different job interviews to see what's on offer. I did it this way 9 years ago and it gave me a good idea what the prices are like, what would my new work place look like, where I could live...


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## nikkisizer

Hi EDI11,

Check out this recruitment website which your girlfriend may find of use:

Top 25 recruitment agencies in UAE

Good luck!


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