# Change in Visa Status



## friendfinder (Jun 27, 2013)

Hi,
I came UAE on a tourist visa with main intentions to enjoy and to find some good business opportunity. After few days here, I decided to register a company by getting a trade license from Sharjah Airport Free Zone (SAIF ZONE). I received my trade license few days later. Few days later, I decided to get a visa for myself. I was informed that I first need to get an immigration card for the company. I applied for the immigration card which I am yet to receive. There are chances that I will receive it at some point tomorrow (Wednesday; July 3rd) or day after tomorrow (Thursday; July 4th).
I am currently on tourist visa. My 40 days validity of the tourist visa is expiring on July 8th which means that I need to exit country before that. I have few questions:
1. Can I exit to any neighbor state like Oman etc to change my visa status?
2. Do I need to obtain a visa for Oman? (I am a Pakistani Passport Holder).
3. Assuming that I was previously on the tourist visa and I will obtain a tourist visa for Oman, do I need to book a return flight to my home country?
4. Is there any Oman embassy in UAE? How people obtain visa for Oman from UAE?

Desperate to know these answers.


Thanks in advance


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Seeing as how you are a customer of the freezone now, with a valid trade license, their visa/immigration department will be your best bet to get this information. You might be able to not have to exit and get your visa changed.

Speak with them, might as well use all their services etc, since you are paying for it ....


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## friendfinder (Jun 27, 2013)

saraswat said:


> Seeing as how you are a customer of the freezone now, with a valid trade license, their visa/immigration department will be your best bet to get this information. You might be able to not have to exit and get your visa changed.
> 
> Speak with them, might as well use all their services etc, since you are paying for it ....


Thanks. I have already contacted them and they are not taking my questions seriously. They don't have answers to these questions. All they have told me is to apply for visa and exit on my current visa. That is all and nothing else.
Do you know what happens in normal cases? I don't want to pay EXTRA to book a return flight to my home country and neither I do want to overstay here as it is always insecure. 

Looking forward for response

Thanks


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

You would need a visa for Oman. 
As you are a tourist in UAE, not sure you can apply for one at the Oman Embassy in UAE (generally tourists cannot apply for visas in embassies in the countires they are visiting). Check with them.

If you leave UAE, you cannot be back here for at least 30 days on a tourist visa.

Also, are you sure that the visa that you have is valid for 40 days? I am not sure that these visas have a grace period or not. Wherever you got the visa from (probably a travel agent?) you should ask them to extend it for 30 more days. It will cost you money, but probably better than a return ticket to Pakistan and faster. 

Once you get your new papers processed, you can take a flight to Oman and come back (without entering Oman) to change your residency status - it works for Dubai visas so I am assuming it should work for you too, but you should clarify.


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## friendfinder (Jun 27, 2013)

rsinner said:


> You would need a visa for Oman.
> As you are a tourist in UAE, not sure you can apply for one at the Oman Embassy in UAE (generally tourists cannot apply for visas in embassies in the countires they are visiting). Check with them.
> 
> If you leave UAE, you cannot be back here for at least 30 days on a tourist visa.
> ...


UAE is my forth country since I have left my own country and I am traveling one after the country on tourist visas. I am certain that I can apply a visa for Oman. 
I want to exit on tourist visa and reenter on 3 years visa. 
I have confirmed that my visa is valid for 40 days. I have confirmed with dnrd and my agent. I was about to extend my tourist visa but I was STRONGLY RECOMMENDED by some of the people (Including an employee of SAIF ZONE) that I should not extend my TOURIST visa as it will make negative impact over the immigration procedures. The reason they mentioned was that I entered country by stating that you are a tourist and you have established a business.

I have traveled a lot of countries and I feel sorry that I have found one common problem in every country. There is no one to tell expats about the right directions. and when we do something wrong, they will ask for fines, will send to jails, deport us, ban us without telling us the right directions. 

I hope someone will help me.


Thanks


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