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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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 Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 10:20 pm Post subject: Visa Process |
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I see very few posts about the visa process in the UAE.
Is the work visa still issued after arrival, or has anyone had it done before?
Any tricky parts now?
Thanks! |
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Gulezar
Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 3:48 am Post subject: Visa Process |
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| The UAE visa process is still not a problem. Most employers will still walk the employees and their families through the process. Usually, they track the renewals, too. Sometimes there are hiccups with family visas, but it all depends on the employer. |
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rdobbs98
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 9:24 am Post subject: |
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| Most bring you in on a Tourist Visa if you have a Visa on Arrival arrangement with your country and the UAE. Then they will process the employment visa and residency. |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for your answers.
Visas in the Gulf are either ridiculously easy, or tedious depending on the wasta of the employer. Assuming that the employer brings the new hire in country with a tourist visa, and then legitimatizes everything with a proper employment visa, how does the process go with regards to validating degrees conferred, criminal background checks, etc.?
For those teaching without a formal teaching qualification in someplace like Sharjah, how does that work?
| rdobbs98 wrote: |
| Most bring you in on a Tourist Visa if you have a Visa on Arrival arrangement with your country and the UAE. Then they will process the employment visa and residency. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Willard wrote: |
Assuming that the employer brings the new hire in country with a tourist visa, and then legitimatizes everything with a proper employment visa, how does the process go with regards to validating degrees conferred, criminal background checks, etc.?
For those teaching without a formal teaching qualification in someplace like Sharjah, how does that work? |
Why isn't your employer providing you with this information? They should be your initial source in terms of what's required from you. |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 3:45 am Post subject: |
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A completely useless, unhelpful, and irrelevant comment which does nothing to advance the discussion. What makes you think this is about me? Why do some people need to personalize everything? It is, however, a great way to hijack a thread.
| nomad soul wrote: |
| Why isn't your employer providing you with this information? They should be your initial source in terms of what's required from you. |
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Gulezar
Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 4:21 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Willard wrote: |
A completely useless, unhelpful, and irrelevant comment which does nothing to advance the discussion. What makes you think this is about me? Why do some people need to personalize everything? It is, however, a great way to hijack a thread.
| nomad soul wrote: |
| Why isn't your employer providing you with this information? They should be your initial source in terms of what's required from you. |
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I assumed that these forums were for folks to ask questions about jobs and the hiring process. If the job doesn't concern you, maybe you should google the "UAE government visa" and find out what the policy happens to be. Each employer will have different procedures to work within the governmental framework.
Diplomas, marriage certificates and other documents usually have to be authenticated. That process depends on the applicant's own country's procedures.
Visas have gotten tighter for Arab nationals and others, but if the employer wants the candidates, HR will do everything to get the candidate on board and they will give him a clear list of what is needed.
All and all, most employers are very helpful with the employment process. Renewals can be stickier, and the exit process can be hell. Somehow, I've known lots of folks who leave with a bitter taste in their mouth. |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:01 am Post subject: |
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Right, and sharing information is very useful, since employers frequently do things like tell prospective employees that work visas aren't required, when they are, etc. Responding to a thread with "Why don't you just ask your employer this", just isn't informative, nor is it helpful.
It is also far better to have an idea about what is needed before starting the process, rather than while in the middle of it.
| Gulezar wrote: |
| I assumed that these forums were for folks to ask questions about jobs and the hiring process. |
There is a reason that lawyers use the phrase "practicing law" rather than "reading or studying law". The practical application of law is frequently different than its literal wording. Thus we distinguish between "de jure" and "de facto" laws. A federated group of mini-states like the emirates also provides for more variation in law beyond simply human nature.
| Gulezar wrote: |
| If the job doesn't concern you, maybe you should google the "UAE government visa" and find out what the policy happens to be. Each employer will have different procedures to work within the governmental framework. |
And this could be tricky if it needs to be done from abroad.
| Gulezar wrote: |
| Diplomas, marriage certificates and other documents usually have to be authenticated. That process depends on the applicant's own country's procedures. |
As in other parts of the Gulf, wasta is usually more important than the "law".
| Gulezar wrote: |
| Visas have gotten tighter for Arab nationals and others, but if the employer wants the candidates, HR will do everything to get the candidate on board and they will give him a clear list of what is needed. |
And I have known people who having gone through the process, prefer to work without the work visa to avoid the problems that it can cause when leaving, etc.
| Gulezar wrote: |
| All and all, most employers are very helpful with the employment process. Renewals can be stickier, and the exit process can be hell. Somehow, I've known lots of folks who leave with a bitter taste in their mouth. |
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rdobbs98
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:46 am Post subject: |
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The process in the UAE is straight forward if you are from a Western country. If you have a teaching degree and/or license, you get listed as a teacher with the Ministry of Labour and the employment/labour card/residency process begins and ends quickly.
If you have a non-teaching degree but teaching experience etc., you get listed in some non-teaching profession with the school, i.e. administrative officer, and the employment/labour card/residency process begins and ends quickly.
There is no "UAE Government Visa" unless you work for a government agency. As of now the government doesn't sponsor non-employees but talk is that may change somewhat in the future.
If you are from a non-western country, India-Pakistan-etc. It will depend upon the mood of immigration and the current relationship between the country and the UAE as to if or when the visa gets processed.
Means they can use the "failed security screening" as a means not to process a visa. If are from a country that has a war going on, pretty much cross your fingers because most are being denied for security screenings. This includes Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Lebanese from certain areas, and religions (Shia for the most part aren't approved). |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Willard wrote: |
A completely useless, unhelpful, and irrelevant comment which does nothing to advance the discussion. What makes you think this is about me? Why do some people need to personalize everything? It is, however, a great way to hijack a thread.
| nomad soul wrote: |
| Why isn't your employer providing you with this information? They should be your initial source in terms of what's required from you. |
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Actually you are thinking that the UAE is like Saudi. It is not and never has been. It has always had the easiest procedures for new teachers.
Nomad is absolutely correct... as confirmed by rdobbs. If you get an offer and need to know what is required - for your employer as they may have varying requirements - they are the one to ask.
The only thing that I would add is that with the UAE, there are dozens of scams running, and if they ask you to send Western Union money to someone for a visa... it's a scam.
VS |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for your detailed response.
So, there could be many ESL teachers teaching but officially listed as administrative staff to avoid the official labor law requirements.
If the process "begins and ends quickly" are they checking degrees and police records in this time after the employee enters the country?
| rdobbs98 wrote: |
The process in the UAE is straight forward if you are from a Western country. If you have a teaching degree and/or license, you get listed as a teacher with the Ministry of Labour and the employment/labour card/residency process begins and ends quickly.
If you have a non-teaching degree but teaching experience etc., you get listed in some non-teaching profession with the school, i.e. administrative officer, and the employment/labour card/residency process begins and ends quickly.
There is no "UAE Government Visa" unless you work for a government agency. As of now the government doesn't sponsor non-employees but talk is that may change somewhat in the future.
If you are from a non-western country, India-Pakistan-etc. It will depend upon the mood of immigration and the current relationship between the country and the UAE as to if or when the visa gets processed.
Means they can use the "failed security screening" as a means not to process a visa. If are from a country that has a war going on, pretty much cross your fingers because most are being denied for security screenings. This includes Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Lebanese from certain areas, and religions (Shia for the most part aren't approved). |
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rdobbs98
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 7:54 am Post subject: |
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Yes a number of teachers are listed as administrative staff, a fact of life here or we wouldn't be able to get the teachers needed. Recent articles point out that around 75,000 teachers are actually needed in the UAE by 2015.
UAE needs 75,000 teachers by 2015
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/education/uae-needs-75-000-teachers-by-2015-1.1299231
They will check your police record but mainly UAE CID looks at your Twitter and Facebook accounts to determine if you have some sort of either religious or political radicalism.
Can include being to much of a liberal activist as well. Degrees are looked at but briefly, this will be done in a process later called Equalization, whereby the UAE converts your degree to something within their own categorization. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| rdobbs98 wrote: |
| Yes a number of teachers are listed as administrative staff, a fact of life here or we wouldn't be able to get the teachers needed. Recent articles point out that around 75,000 teachers are actually needed in the UAE by 2015. |
This may be true at K-12 level, but if the Captain is looking for work at tertiary level, it isn't. At that level, all hires have a normal residence/work visa in their passport as a teacher.
VS |
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Spelunker
Joined: 03 Nov 2013
Posts: 392
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 4:37 pm Post subject: re: visa process... |
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Is this visa process still the same? Kind of tired of the visa hassle in asian countries, and the UAE is not as far, distance wise, as east asia is from the EU countries.
Anyone got a work visa recently? Also OT, but is now a good time to apply for TEFL/TESL jobs there? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: re: visa process... |
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| Spelunker wrote: |
| Is now a good time to apply for TEFL/TESL jobs there? |
Check out Teach Away and Footprints for openings in the UAE's public schools. |
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