Employment Visa

[themash]

Does anyone know if to change your visa from a tourist visa to an employment visa you have to leave the country by plane? or is it possible to take the employment visa paperwork with you and go a run to Hatta and have it done there?

Has anyone done this before? (I am a UK passport holder)

[teuchter]

Originally Posted by themash

Does anyone know if to change your visa from a tourist visa to an employment visa you have to leave the country by plane? or is it possible to take the employment visa paperwork with you and go a run to Hatta and have it done there?

Has anyone done this before? (I am a UK passport holder)

There doesn't seem to be any consistency in this one: over the past five years, I've hired a number of candidates, and the UK/EU ones usually do not need to leave the country at all. (There was one exception to this, where the guy went to Qatar and back the same day.) I also know of a UK passport holder and a Swiss one who both did it at Hatta.

All of the Asian passport holders I hired (with the exception of a Singaporean) had to leave the country, whereas none of the Arabs (Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian) had to.

I suggest you check with your HR manager/PRO: they should be able to advise.

teuchter

[wandabug]

UK passport - you do not have to leave the country any more for a visa change.

[themash]

thats great, thanks for the advice! we are a new company so unfortunately I sort of am my own PRO & HR and learning as I go.

[katiepotato]

Not sure if you are in a freezone or onshore, but speak to the person on the desk/at the typing centre when you're submitting the residence visa application and tell them you need to do an in-country transfer to amend your status from visitor to resident. There is an extra charge - about AED800.

If you are really struggling I know a "freelance" PRO who might be able to help you - PM me for details if needed.

[fcjb1970]

I just started a new job a little over a month ago, was on a 30 day visit visa at the time and did not have to leave the country. They just processed and got me the Employment Entry visa (the pink piece of paper), no problem. Sure the process for a Britt is the same as for a Yank.

[katiepotato]

It's the same process for passport holders from any of the 33 "visa on arrival" countries. You do specifically have to request an in-country transfer/local amendment when submitting the application though.

[shezza321]

Ok maybe a dumb question, apologies if it is. Where do you have to go to submit this application?

[rsinner]

Originally Posted by shezza321

Ok maybe a dumb question, apologies if it is. Where do you have to go to submit this application?

DNRD office. The one i know is opposite al jaffiliya metro station

[LAgirl]

So what about people with passports from the other countries that do not qualify for the "visa on arrival". If someone from like the philipines, west africa or wherever?