# Entry / Employment Permit Question



## Longhorn (May 7, 2008)

As some of you know I am moving to Dubai this Thursday and today I received my work visa or so I though....

I have a couple of questions about this thing I got in my email this morning.

In the notes section it says

1. Validity of Permit: 60 Days 
2. Duration of stay: 30 Days from date of entry, persons entering for employment/residence should report to the administration within the duration of stay.
3. do not alter
4. Bearer of Visit/Residence Permit is not allowed to work paid or unpaid 
5. Bearer of this permit should have a return ticket 
6. To enter original visa is required

OK, so this is not my work permit I gather. So, what is this then? It looks like an entry permit and I didn't think I needed a entry permit along with a vistor stamp in my passport, didn't need this last trip.

What happens if I show up there without a return ticket? I bought a one way ticket coming there this time because I figured it would be easier to do that since I don't know when my next trip back to the US will be and once I figure that out then I could buy round trips from Dubai until I finally move home...then one more one way at the end of my sentence...(err tour of duty). 

Do I need to take this permit and stand in line at the airport for an entry visa or do I just take this to the office at some point during my stay for an official work permit?

I posted a pic of this thing for reference. Sorry for my confusion...

Thanks,
Rob


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

I would ask whomever provided you the visa. I have just received mine today, but there is nothing typed in the notes section.

Mine does have a valid date until only 10/26/08, but I assume I have to arrive by then to get the stamp on my passport.

I also believe we still have to get the UAE equivalent of a "Green Card" but the employment visa is the first step. Maybe we need to get the labor card within that 60 day period?


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## ReloMan (Aug 31, 2008)

Did you both work with the UAE Embassy in Washington? I just signed my offer sheet and need to work on getting a VISA before Oct. Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance.


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

ReloMan said:


> Did you both work with the UAE Embassy in Washington? I just signed my offer sheet and need to work on getting a VISA before Oct. Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance.



Your employer needs to sponsor you and obtain your visa. 

You may need to provide attested documentation ( i.e. attested degree, birth cert) in order to get your visa which would require final attestation at the UAE embassy in DC.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Mrman said:


> I would ask whomever provided you the visa. I have just received mine today, but there is nothing typed in the notes section.
> 
> Mine does have a valid date until only 10/26/08, but I assume I have to arrive by then to get the stamp on my passport.
> 
> I also believe we still have to get the UAE equivalent of a "Green Card" but the employment visa is the first step. Maybe we need to get the labor card within that 60 day period?


I agree that you should contact your employer asap and clarify this. My visa did not have any notes on it and I wasn't even asked for a return ticket at the airport. Your original visa has to be collected at the airport. If you are here for employment, then you would need to have an eye scan, before proceeding to the immigration desk. Once you arrive, your visa and passport has to be submitted to your employer, for them to sort out your residence permit.


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## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

I agree contact your employer.

I have just looked the copy of my entry permit / visa which i am to obtain original of when i arrive at airport and it has no mention of any notes as yours does but simply has the name of my sponsor in that space


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## ReloMan (Aug 31, 2008)

First, thanks for all the help.

Is it possible to start the employement visa process but still enter as a visitor for 1 month or does this red tape need to be done outside of Dubai?


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## mazdaRX8 (Jul 13, 2008)

Hey Longhorn, excited yet?  Welcome to your first battle with the paperwork of UAE.

As for your questions, on my employment visa paper, I too had those notes (not exactly the same, I did not have note 5 on it).

On Note 5:
Here is the key to remember, sometimes they use the same paper, with the pre-printed notes for both visit and employment. They just change the word "employment" to "visit" on top when they issue a visit visa. Hence some of the pre-printed notes do not apply to employment. I believe the return ticket is for the "visit" category. (double check with sponsor here to be safe)

Note 4 is prolly some BS. I had it on my paper too, didnt mean a thing.

Note 6 is important. I believe you have a "copy" of the original. Am I correct? Upon arrival, as Maz25 said, you have to go to the "visa collection counter" PRIOR to going to the immigration counter (this would mean you get off the plane and head to the visa collection counter) to obtain the original document because your sponsor has to submit the original to that counter before your arrival.

You do an eye scan right next to the collection counter, and some other simple stuff then head to the immigration counter with the original. They stamp the original and your passport and thats it, you get your baggage.

This is how it was done for me. I would also talk to your sponsor here and ask
1) is the original going to be at the visa collection counter prior to my arrival so I can pick it up?
2) Confirm that note 5 is not valid for your employment visa (shouldn't)

The low-down:
This is your entry permit to "work" and this gives the immigration proof on their side that you have arrived the country for work purposes. For American citizens, you don't need an entry permit for visit only I believe. You give this to airport immigration, they stamp this and give it back to you. Then you submit this when you arrive at your office to HR. They take your passport and stamped "employment entry permit", send it off to "non-airport" immigration, you get the valued ACTUAL "residence" visa sticker on it and get your passport back. They usually keep the original employment entry permit.

This is NOT the residence visa, this is simply an entry permit showing you are entering the country for employment.

I am no expert on this issue, but I have gone through the same thing, and this is what I did/learned

So if anyone else reads this and wants to correct it, feel free to do so.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

You can enter on a visit visa but whether you are able to convert it to an employment visa will depend entirely where your firm is based. I am based in Media City and upon payment of a fee, a visit visa can be converted to an employment visa. Just be aware that if you enter on a visit visa, you will not be able to work and if caught you face a 50,000 AED fine and deportation.


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## ReloMan (Aug 31, 2008)

Mrman - How are you handling the diploma? I have it hanging on the wall, of course it's not notarized. To add to the confusion, my degree is out of state....this really causes issues with the notary being certified by the state which then gets certified by the feds which then goes to the UAE embassy.


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

I was fortunate that I did not have to attest my diploma. I only sent them a scanned copy (also fortunate that it was still in the original, sealed mailer). I think some companies being in a Free Zone do not need degree attestation for an employment visa.

I would ask whomever is working your visa if an official transcript (which should note the degree obtained) is sufficient. Otherwise you will have to get another diploma which for me would take many weeks.


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## ReloMan (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks for the info....so your basic process was 
1. attest your docs (state and feds)
2. send to UAE embassy in Washington for entry VISA
3. Enter Dubai and get a Resident VISA


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

No, not exactly. I have not arrived yet.

All I have done is send a passport photo and a copy of my diploma (not attested) to get my employment visa which came this week.

My marriage cert and kids birth certs are in the process of attestation (still at state level), so my family won't come until that is complete. I don't plan on them coming over until around the new year anyway.


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## ReloMan (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I am just beginning the process. Hopefully I will have, at least, the employee Visa by Month End. Did you use the UAE embassy form that was on thier Washington website to get the employement VISA?

The plan is to have the family in Dubai around the new year.


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

I didn't get my employment visa. I sent my diploma copy and passport photo to my employer in Dubai, and they got the employment visa.


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

ReloMan said:


> Thanks for the info....so your basic process was
> 1. attest your docs (state and feds)
> 2. send to UAE embassy in Washington for entry VISA
> 3. Enter Dubai and get a Resident VISA


More accurately it should be

1. attest your document in US (state/fed)
2. attest your documents at UAE embassy
3. send to employer to obtain employment visa
4. Enter Dubai, get employment visa, get resident card


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## archdlanor (Oct 4, 2008)

anyone please help...how many days would it take to obtain an employment visa?>..


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## qwert97 (Jun 2, 2008)

archdlanor said:


> anyone please help...how many days would it take to obtain an employment visa?>..


The steps are as follows:
1. The employer needs to get a labor approval. In order to make an application, they need a copy of attested educational documents (takes 2 weeks)
2. After labor approval, an employment visa is issued by DNRD- takes 2-3 days

If efficient PRO total time taken - 2 to 3 weeks. If PRO is not efficient - can take a month or even 5 weeks.


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## archdlanor (Oct 4, 2008)

what do you mean by attested educational documents?...


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## Mrman (Jul 14, 2008)

archdlanor said:


> what do you mean by attested educational documents?...


In order for documents to be deemed valid across countries, the home country needs to attest their authenticity in accordance with the Hague Convention for legalization of documents of which most developed countries are signatories.

Simply put, in order to ensure your important documents (i.e. diplomas, birth certs, marriage certs) weren't typed on your Smith Corona typewriter in your home, you have to have your documents validated as real by your government.


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