# The difference between UAE visit visa and residency-entry visa



## New_hope (Jul 23, 2009)

Hello everyone
I am getting ready to move to UAE to work in a university there and I am planning to take my family with me from Canada. I found on the website of another university in UAE (UAEU) that the university would arrange for a *working visa *for the faculty member as well as *residence-entry visas *for his/her family members. However, the HR manager at the university where I am going told me that they will only arrange for a working visa for me and as for my family members they can enter with a *visitor visa* that we can easily obtain upon arrival at the UAE airport and afterward we can change their visitor visas to *residency visas* when I sponsor them.

I want to know if there is any problem for Canadians to get a visitor visa at UAE airports and if they can later change this visitor visa to a residency visa?

And if it is possible, why other universities obtain residency-entry visas? does this make the procedures easier to obtain a residency visa afterward?

Thank you all ...


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## tiscalina (Jul 7, 2008)

Hi,
my hubby arranged a residence-entry visa for our son and myself after he got his working visa. Is is the first step for the residence visa, we had our residence visa within a week, after going to the medical test. He diarranged the entry visa by himself.
Maybe you take a look at the following page:
Get a Dubai residency visa for your wife
hope that helps


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## DYLANJAMAL (Feb 20, 2009)

New_hope said:


> Hello everyone
> I am getting ready to move to UAE to work in a university there and I am planning to take my family with me from Canada. I found on the website of another university in UAE (UAEU) that the university would arrange for a *working visa *for the faculty member as well as *residence-entry visas *for his/her family members. However, the HR manager at the university where I am going told me that they will only arrange for a working visa for me and as for my family members they can enter with a *visitor visa* that we can easily obtain upon arrival at the UAE airport and afterward we can change their visitor visas to *residency visas* when I sponsor them.
> 
> I want to know if there is any problem for Canadians to get a visitor visa at UAE airports and if they can later change this visitor visa to a residency visa?
> ...


For the Canadian passport there is NO problem in getting visitor vissa. but there only one difference between resid. and visitor vissa ( I got this info. from the HR person in the univ. I am going to....in Abudahbi):
My visa will be the employee visa from university, upon arrival I WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO travel outside UAE before the next year holiday (I will have 45 days holiday in the next summer). For my wife and 2 kids (canadian) they will get visitor visa from the Airport. I will be the sponsor (NOT THE UNIV.) for my family. So for them they could travel outside UAE (before the finishing of the paper work for getting the residency for them and considering I as a sponsor)
The lady (in HR) told me if I enter the UAE with the family the above would be the case...
But if I choose to leave them in canada and go by my own, then I could do the paper work for sponsoring them and in this case They will get the residency visa and they do not have to go to step one of getting visitor visa then residency visa
(I got some feedback from people there that the second option is better (time wise)
but I too decided to accompany the family with me...
Is it OK if I ask you, Which univ. you will be working there and which city, major,...(accommodation),...?
I will be working for Khalifa univ. in Abudabi and I am from Waterloo-Ontario...
good luck
Dylan


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## New_hope (Jul 23, 2009)

Thanks Tiscalina and Dylan.

Dylan, is that regulation (not to be allowed to leave the country during the first year) is set by the university or the govt?

I will be working in Abu Dhabi University (sorry for the delay in my reply, but I am so busy with too many things).


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## sounds_of_arabia (Aug 3, 2009)

New_hope said:


> Thanks Tiscalina and Dylan.
> 
> Dylan, is that regulation (not to be allowed to leave the country during the first year) is set by the university or the govt?
> 
> I will be working in Abu Dhabi University (sorry for the delay in my reply, but I am so busy with too many things).


usually employees are not allowed to leave their employers before completing the first year because they will be subject of the labor ban, however if your are diploma holder or higher you are excluded (you are free to move)

but you can leave the country anytime you wish

beside that i read in the newspaper recently that ban system has been avoided in Emirates


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## New_hope (Jul 23, 2009)

sounds_of_arabia said:


> usually employees are not allowed to leave their employers before completing the first year because they will be subject of the labor ban, however if your are diploma holder or higher you are excluded (you are free to move)
> 
> but you can leave the country anytime you wish
> 
> beside that i read in the newspaper recently that ban system has been avoided in Emirates


Thank you for your answer. When you say (_leave their employers_) do you mean to quit their jobs or to go for a temporary visit to another country?

I am planning to go back to Canada for a week during the university's mid-year vacation. Shuld there be any problem doing that?

Thanks again


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## sounds_of_arabia (Aug 3, 2009)

New_hope said:


> Thank you for your answer. When you say (_leave their employers_) do you mean to quit their jobs or to go for a temporary visit to another country?
> 
> I am planning to go back to Canada for a week during the university's mid-year vacation. Shuld there be any problem doing that?
> 
> Thanks again


no problems at all

yes i meant quitting their jobs


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## DYLANJAMAL (Feb 20, 2009)

New_hope said:


> Thanks Tiscalina and Dylan.
> 
> Dylan, is that regulation (not to be allowed to leave the country during the first year) is set by the university or the govt?
> 
> I will be working in Abu Dhabi University (sorry for the delay in my reply, but I am so busy with too many things).



The info. I gave you about not allowing us to travel during our academic year got it from the lady in HR. I have asked her this question (on phone) because my wife+ kids would like to got to another country... She (HR) said that is OK for them because they will enter as canadian (visit visa.... free no charge... in Abudabi Airport)..
BUT SHE SAID THAT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO TRAVEL...
of course still I am in canada... this is only Remote information I have...
hopefully somebody from the exact (kindly) will answer that for confirmation...
many thanks...
Dylan


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