Visa cancellation

A reader from Dubai asks: How much time will be required to resolve the dispute if I approach the Ministry of Labour to cancel my visa, since my employer is refusing to cancel my visa after I gave in my resignation (which he refused to accept) and I will complete my 30 days notice period on September 30, 2010?

If there is no dispute regarding the dues between the questioner and employer, and the questioner is only approaching the Ministry of Labour to cancel his visa upon completion of the notice period, in this case, the cancellation procedures may be completed by the Ministry of Labour within almost two weeks.

- Questions answered by Advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Son's visa expires

A reader from Dubai asks:  My son is under my sponsorship. He will be 18 on February 10. His visa expires on April 10. I would like to ask you whether I can renew his residence visa. He is taking his board exam on April 25, here in Dubai. Do I need to cancel his visa?

The questioner will not have any problem with regards to his son’s residence visa. In relation to the visa which expires in February, the questioner’s son has 30 days after the expiry, and when the period of 30 days has lapsed, a new visa may be made for his son if he continues his education within the UAE, and in this event, the new visa will be only for one year to be renewed annually.

Not on company's visa

A reader in Dubai asks: I have worked at a special university affiliated to Knowledge Village for more than three years; I signed an employment contract with the university but my residence was not under the university where I am working presently. I submitted my resignation as a better job opportunity became available with a company in Dubai. I asked the university management to provide me with my end-of-service gratuity, but I was told that I was not entitled to anything and that the university was not responsible for my end-of-service dues on the basis that I was not under the university visa. Is it true that I am not entitled to end-of-service gratuity on the grounds that I am not under the company visa? Is it possible to file a complaint before the Ministry of Labour in this regard? Is it possible to approach the competent labour court to claim my labour rights

The university is related to Knowledge Village and not the Ministry of Labour, but the questioner may not be able to file an official complaint against such a university as Knowledge Village might not enable the questioner to approach the competent court to claim his rights on the grounds that both the questioner and university have acted contrary to law and therefore if the questioner files a complaint before Knowledge Village, both the questioner and university might be subject to accountability by Knowledge Village. Also the questioner cannot file a complaint to the labour court directly unless he obtains a letter from Knowledge Village. Therefore, I would advise the questioner to seek reconciliation with the university and obtain his rights amicably.

Questions answered by Advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Visas and Immigration

General Information

Information concerning visa requirements for those wishing to travel to the UAE has been listed below, however visa reulations and costs are subject to change and should always be checked with you travel agent or nearest UAE embassy before travelling (see Useful Addresses for contact details). Do not overstay your visa as this wll result in detention and fines.

VISAS

VISIT VISA UPDATE 31/03/03

The Cabinet has decided to reduce the visit visa period for citizens of 33 countries who are allowed to enter the UAE without a prior visa to one month non-renewable instead of three months. The Cabinet also decided to impose a charge of Dhs100 per visa to be collected on entry to the UAE through land, seaport and airport entry points.

The decision includes citizens from France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Visit Visa

Citizens of the UK (with right of abode in the UK) will be granted a free of charge visit visa on arrival in the UAE: Passports will be stamped with the visit visa as you pass through Immigration at any airport in the UAE. Although the visa may be stamped for 30 days, it entitles the holder to stay in the country for 60 days and may be renewed once for an additional period of 30 days for a fee of Dh500.

Except for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council who do not require a visa and nationalities automatically entitled to visit visas on entry, all other visitors who wish to stay longer than 14 days in the UAE (see Entry Service Permit below) must obtain a visit visa in advance through a sponsor. The sponsor can be your travel agency, your hotel, the company or department with which you are doing business in the UAE, or an individual (eg. a relative or friend resident in the UAE).

You can pick up this visit visa on arrival at the airport, but there is a fee of Dh100 plus a Dh10 delivery charge for this service. In order to complete your application, your sponsor will require your date of arrival, flight details, and a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport, which should be valid for at least three months.

A hotel will only provide a visa if you are a guest. For an individual to sponsor a visit visa, he or she must earn over Dh4000 per month and hold a valid residence visa. Your visit visa must be deposited at airport immigration one hour before the arrival of your flight. Note that your airline may require evidence (e.g. a photocopy) before departure that a valid visa awaits you on arrival.

Please note that holders of British Overseas Citizens Passport who do not have the right of abode in the UK do need visas to enter the UAE.

Tourist Visa

This special category of visit visa is available for individual tourists from East and West Europe who are not entitled to be issued with a visa on arrival, as well as visitors from Thailand, South Africa and China. The tourist visa, which must be sponsored by hotels and tour operators, entitles its holder to a 30-day stay and is non-renewable. The fee is Dh100, with an additional Dh10 for delivery.

Entry Service Permit

An entry service permit (sometimes referred to as a 14-day stay) is available to businessmen and tourists. The permit must be sponsored by a company or commercial establishment or a hotel licensed to operate within the UAE. The visa, which is non-renewable, is valid for 14 days from the date of issue and the duration of stay is 14 days from date of entry, exclusive of arrival and departure days. There is a fee of Dh120 plus Dh10 delivery charge for obtaining an entry service permit. Allow at least two weeks for processing of the permit.

Transit Visa

If you are flying to or from Europe or the United States, to Asia or Africa and passing through UAE airports, you can obtain a special 96-hour transit visa. You must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE and you must have a valid ticket for your onward flight. Your travel documents will be stamped with an entry seal and there is no charge for this visa

Multiple Entry Visa

An option for business visitors who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company in the UAE. Valid for six months from date of issue, each visit must not exceed 30 days in total. This visa costs Dh1000. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the multiple entry visa while in the country.

German citizens (both tourists and business visitors) may apply to the UAE embassy in Germany for one or two year multiple-entry visa. No sponsor is required. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed three months a year. The visa fee is Dh1500.

US citizens may apply to the UAE embassy in the US for one to ten year multiple-entry visas. A sponsor is required and the visa will be granted free of charge. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed six months per visit.

Documents

To obtain a visa from a UAE embassy, you will need the following:

Passport

2 photographs

Duplicate application form

Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the embassy concerned

A letter from the applicant's company plus photocopy

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENTS

- Abu Dhabi

Saeed bin Tahnoon St.

Abu Dhabi

Tel: 02 4462244

- Al Ain

Aditaba Road, near Dubai Islamic Bank, opposite Carrefour supermarket.

Tel: 03 7625555

- Dubai

Department of Naturalization and Residency, Trade Centre Road, near Bur Dubai Police Station

Tel: 04 3980000

- Sharjah

Department for Naturalization and Residence, near General Post Office

Tel: 06 5726777

- Umm al-Qaiwain

Tel: 06 7666419

- Ajman

Tel: 06 7422255

- Ra's as-Khaimah

Tel: 07 2273333