# Getting works visa for Dubai



## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

Hi everyone.

I've just joined this forum as my girlfriend has just been offered a job in Dubai. We are getting married in June and the Job starts in the middle of July.

Obviously her employer will be sorting her visa out before we get married so I'm looking for some advice on how I will be able to travel.

Will I be able to get myself put on her visa after we get married as a dependant and then look for work once I'm out there or will I need to find a job in Dubai before I can go?

I am a print machine operator by trade but was planning on just getting some bar work over there but it's been suggested to me that that is not possible and I need to be getting a job that can not be done by a local? 

Any advice or help you can offer would be greatly appreciated as I'm really unsure of my options at this point.

Thanks in advance.

Stu


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

You can come over on a visit visa that lasts 30 days + 9 days grace at the end of that you can do visa runs and renew it for another 30 + 9 days till you get your visa sorted (job hunting)


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

londonmandan said:


> You can come over on a visit visa that lasts 30 days + 9 days grace at the end of that you can do visa runs and renew it for another 30 + 9 days till you get your visa sorted (job hunting)


Firstly, thanks for the reply. So is that my best option do you think...or could I get my mrs to sponsor me once we are married? Would that be a better option than the tourist visa? Also if we went with her sponsoring me how long would that take?

How easy do you think it will be to get work? Will initially be looking for anything (hotel/bar work) just to get my foot in the door so to speak.

Thanks again for the response...literally just found out about the job offer 2 days ago so this is all a bit new to me.

Stu,


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

It makes no odds how you get your visa sorted. Either way is just as good. You need to have a look at the Stickies on living etc as I suspect your fiance will be the main bread winner and if her salary won't support much, then you may have to think again.

To get work in a bar - possibly troublesome as you won't like the hours, the six days week and the poor pay. Its not the UK here as you know and you may be surprised how low the wages are for a low skill job. its not so much a foot in the door job, but an end of career option.

What other skills do you have ? Degree, etc ?


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

twowheelsgood said:


> It makes no odds how you get your visa sorted. Either way is just as good. You need to have a look at the Stickies on living etc as I suspect your fiance will be the main bread winner and if her salary won't support much, then you may have to think again.
> 
> To get work in a bar - possibly troublesome as you won't like the hours, the six days week and the poor pay. Its not the UK here as you know and you may be surprised how low the wages are for a low skill job. its not so much a foot in the door job, but an end of career option.
> 
> What other skills do you have ? Degree, etc ?


I am a printer by trade, and in the long term will be looking for a job doing that. In the short term my lass will be earning over 40K and we already have quite a bit of money behind us. So was hoping to get sponsored on her visa and just find any work to keep me out of trouble till something in printing came up. Would this be possible and would short term bar/hotel work be easy to come by?


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

For just a barman, salaries in five-star hotels vary from 900/ to 1500/ a month, for a six-day, 54-hour week.

That could be as low as 30AED a day.

Still willing to do bar-work?


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

JonGard said:


> For just a barman, salaries in five-star hotels vary from 900/ to 1500/ a month, for a six-day, 54-hour week.
> 
> That could be as low as 30AED a day.
> 
> Still willing to do bar-work?


Yes mate I realise lbar wages are poor. Like I said we have plenty of money behind us so the bar work will just be to keep me occupied until I find something more in line with my skills. I really just want to know how easy it will be to get hotel work for an English guy once. I'm there?


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

not impossible to get bar work as a number of the English type bars may have 1 or 2 english staff. 

My advise would be to spend you time and energy looking at options of setting your own business up, you have the experience in printing, have the cash and the time to do market research and develop a business model. Setting up a business here is fairly easy and sure you could pick up some second hand equipment reasonably. One thing you will find out here is that the demand for flyers is off the scale, no concept of saving trees or the planet. Although turning the lights off for an hour during earth hour will ease the conscience!

Getting a job as a printer will be tough so why not grasp the nettle and make your own opportunities and avoid pulling pints for peanuts.

Good Luck


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

Stuey99 said:


> Yes mate I realise lbar wages are poor. Like I said we have plenty of money behind us so the bar work will just be to keep me occupied until I find something more in line with my skills. I really just want to know how easy it will be to get hotel work for an English guy once. I'm there?


Fair play to you then. I would say however that even as a Supervisor you're looking at 3500AED for a six-day, 54-hour week. Given you don't need the money I'm not sure you'd be motivated.

When I came over I hit the free-standing places like Fibbers, The Stables and Irish Village. You can at least get contacts from there. Also start adding people on LinkedIn, it's a massive resource for hospitality here. 

Then don't tell anyone that you intend to move on shortly, no-one will go to the effort of getting your visa knowing you're not staying and if you leave your contract early you'll be expected to pay those costs back.

Hope this helps. Anything else, please send me a DM and I'll try to help.


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

JonGard said:


> Fair play to you then. I would say however that even as a Supervisor you're looking at 3500AED for a six-day, 54-hour week. Given you don't need the money I'm not sure you'd be motivated.
> 
> When I came over I hit the free-standing places like Fibbers, The Stables and Irish Village. You can at least get contacts from there. Also start adding people on LinkedIn, it's a massive resource for hospitality here.
> 
> ...


Cheers mate, appreciate that!! The main reason I'm just looking for bar work is just to get the ball rolling...I hate sitting round doing nothing and it just seems a great way to get to know people out there and make a few contacts. I also don't want to be sat on my bum while the mrs is working 6 days a week. 

I've been told it's mostly Phillipinos who go for the bar jobs so they're likely to be eager to employ someone from the UK, do you think that's true?

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it.


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

Laowei said:


> not impossible to get bar work as a number of the English type bars may have 1 or 2 english staff.
> 
> My advise would be to spend you time and energy looking at options of setting your own business up, you have the experience in printing, have the cash and the time to do market research and develop a business model. Setting up a business here is fairly easy and sure you could pick up some second hand equipment reasonably. One thing you will find out here is that the demand for flyers is off the scale, no concept of saving trees or the planet. Although turning the lights off for an hour during earth hour will ease the conscience!
> 
> ...


This is a great plan!! It looks like I will just be going on a tourist visa and doing visa runs to start off, and may try and get a bar job for the first few months just to get to know a few people. After that I will definitely look into your idea. Will living with my mrs and just doing visa runs create any problems for me or is this pretty widespread and accepted?


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Stuey99 said:


> This is a great plan!! It looks like I will just be going on a tourist visa and doing visa runs to start off, and may try and get a bar job for the first few months just to get to know a few people. After that I will definitely look into your idea. Will living with my mrs and just doing visa runs create any problems for me or is this pretty widespread and accepted?


Not a problem the visa run is fairly easy, exit UAE at border, get exit stamp. get vehicle check at Oman border (quick look in the boot) park at Oman border post entry exit stamp in one. back to UAE border get entry stamp. Pass a couple of UAE security posts in and out but usually just get waved through. just cursary checks.


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

to be honest once the mrs has her visa she can sponser you for your residents visa so no need to the border run anyway. Its usual for the company she is working for to do this for her anyway, you just need to sign the dotted line, getting a million passport photos and get the medical done.


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

Laowei said:


> to be honest once the mrs has her visa she can sponser you for your residents visa so no need to the border run anyway. Its usual for the company she is working for to do this for her anyway, you just need to sign the dotted line, getting a million passport photos and get the medical done.


Thanks mate. Just one more question...we're not getting married till June 15th and planning to fly to Dubai a month later. If she's getting her visa sorted now, can I get sponsored by her once we;re married and how long will that take?

Also I heard that for a wife to sponsor her husband she has to be earning over 25000AED a month...is this true?


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Stuey99 said:


> Thanks mate. Just one more question...we're not getting married till June 15th and planning to fly to Dubai a month later. If she's getting her visa sorted now, can I get sponsored by her once we;re married and how long will that take?
> 
> Also I heard that for a wife to sponsor her husband she has to be earning over 25000AED a month...is this true?


She can only sponsor you after you get married. the marriage certificate needs to be attested (search the forum in case you are unsure as to how to go about attestation).
There is a min salary requirement (I had heard it was 20K AED - not sure) + she needs to be in certain professions (doctor, teacher etc) for her to sponsor you. However, if you know the right people, exceptions are sometimes made to this. 

Didn't you say her salary was 40K? I assumed it was AED per month (not GBP per annum, which means c. 20K AED per month).


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

rsinner said:


> She can only sponsor you after you get married. the marriage certificate needs to be attested (search the forum in case you are unsure as to how to go about attestation).
> There is a min salary requirement (I had heard it was 20K AED - not sure) + she needs to be in certain professions (doctor, teacher etc) for her to sponsor you. However, if you know the right people, exceptions are sometimes made to this.
> 
> Didn't you say her salary was 40K? I assumed it was AED per month (not GBP per annum, which means c. 20K AED per month).


Yeah that's right it's around 20K AED a month. She just called actually and her employer has said considering her employment package it won't be a problem for her to sponsor me...I hope they're right!!


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

To get bar work I'd go the free-standing bars like Irish Village, The Stables,Fibbers and English-style boozers like Girders in Ocean View on JBR. If you can't get a start with them they'll be decent people to have a chat to and get some leads.

Research the market here and try to add a few people on LinkedIn. You're welcome to find me on there and add me, drop me a DM so I know who you are. I work for Emaar Hospitality Group, who own The Address etc and will try to help.

A lot of places would like an English supervisor, where you'd get about 3500 probably, so that'd be a bit better. If you show well you'll get on fast here. 

If you need any help DM me and I'll try to help.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

JonGard said:


> To get bar work I'd go the free-standing bars like Irish Village, The Stables,Fibbers and English-style boozers like Girders in Ocean View on JBR. If you can't get a start with them they'll be decent people to have a chat to and get some leads. Research the market here and try to add a few people on LinkedIn. You're welcome to find me on there and add me, drop me a DM so I know who you are. I work for Emaar Hospitality Group, who own The Address etc and will try to help. A lot of places would like an English supervisor, where you'd get about 3500 probably, so that'd be a bit better. If you show well you'll get on fast here. If you need any help DM me and I'll try to help.


Jon, perhaps giving OP an idea of the kind of hours he would be expected to work for that money might give him a bit of insight.


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

Sorry, hospitality is a basic 54-hour week, 9 hours per day for 6 days.

Once you get to Assistant Manager (maybe) or Manager (definitely) level, you'll get two days off.


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## Nix2012 (May 18, 2012)

Do you have bar work experience? My friend came with her boyfriend and it took her a few months to find her job - she was straight out of education. She is working as a resourcer in a recruitment agency. Register with the UAE job boards and add yourself to linkedin if you haven't already. The visa run is fine and so many do it so no worries there. I guess your wife will be able to add you to her medical insurance? It would be a good idea to get your wedding certificate attested after the wedding and you should do this before coming Dubai. July can be tough because of the heat and the job market is very slow. If you will consider anything, I work in retail and it might be worth sending me your CV. Our sales guys work 6 days 5 days alternate weeks and 8 hours a day. Hope this helps


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

JonGard said:


> To get bar work I'd go the free-standing bars like Irish Village, The Stables,Fibbers and English-style boozers like Girders in Ocean View on JBR. If you can't get a start with them they'll be decent people to have a chat to and get some leads.
> 
> Research the market here and try to add a few people on LinkedIn. You're welcome to find me on there and add me, drop me a DM so I know who you are. I work for Emaar Hospitality Group, who own The Address etc and will try to help.
> 
> ...


Cheers Jon I've just dropped you a message


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## Stuey99 (Mar 24, 2014)

Nix2012 said:


> Do you have bar work experience? My friend came with her boyfriend and it took her a few months to find her job - she was straight out of education. She is working as a resourcer in a recruitment agency. Register with the UAE job boards and add yourself to linkedin if you haven't already. The visa run is fine and so many do it so no worries there. I guess your wife will be able to add you to her medical insurance? It would be a good idea to get your wedding certificate attested after the wedding and you should do this before coming Dubai. July can be tough because of the heat and the job market is very slow. If you will consider anything, I work in retail and it might be worth sending me your CV. Our sales guys work 6 days 5 days alternate weeks and 8 hours a day. Hope this helps


Thanks Nix, I've just messaged you.


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