Finding employment in the UAE is not easy, even for foreigners with professional qualifications. Employers look to make sure you will be an asset to their company, so they spend time integrating you into the team before giving you responsibilities or offering you positions.
This can sometimes take months, if it ever happens at all. The way most companies handle this is by hiring you as an employee on a non-immigrant visa (sometimes referred to as work permit).
You are given limited access to money, health care, and education, but still have unrestricted travel outside of the country. This is what makes the visa valuable to employers – you don’t want to overstay your visit, but you also don’t need to live here. You can return home whenever you like.
There are some rules about how long you can remain in the country though, which differ depending on where you reside and what city you are working in. These length of stay regulations apply both to business travelers and tourists.
There are two types of employment visas for work in the UAE: an F1 visa that is valid for 2 years and an E2 visa that is valid for 1 year. The difference between these two comes down to how long it takes to process each one.
The F1 visa can be extended once you have completed your job and departure from the country, while the E2 visa cannot. This means if you decide to stay in the UAE longer than planned after your initial two-year period has expired, you will need to apply for an extension on the F1 visa or get another type of visa.
However, what most employers do not tell new immigrants is just how hard it can be to find out how long the processing time is for their own visa! Most immigration offices only update this information every few months so anyone looking for more exact numbers should do their research early.
Many people are under the impression that if you have a one-year employment visa in Dubai, then you can stay in UAE for one year without any restrictions. This is not true!
If you run out of money or resources to be able to leave the country after your visa has expired, there are sometimes ways to extend your visa. However, this does not mean that you can stay in the country illegally or work while it's extended. It is totally possible to get into serious trouble by doing either of these things.
Extending an employee’s visa past its expiration date may be done at the employer’s discretion. If the employer wants to keep you, they will need to file some kind of paperwork with both the local consulate as well as the embassy in your home country proving that you will no longer likely face hardship due to leaving and/or lack of funds.
Also, most countries have a rule where once your tourist visa expires, you must exit their borders within a set amount of time. For example, in Canada you have to spend 30 days outside of the country before you can reenter. These times vary from nation to nation so do some research before attempting to return.
If you are an experienced professional with a solid career, then working for a foreign company can help you improve your living standards. You may be able to stay in the country longer than two years if you have the right documents and proof of employment.
There is no rule that says you must live outside the country while on a business visa, but it is best to be prepared for this possibility.
It’s important to remember that even though it’s not illegal, leaving the country during the time limit could affect your chances of being allowed back into the United States later on.
The first step towards obtaining employment in the UAE is deciding if you're eligible for a work permit or visa. Who can apply depends on your nationality, as well as what kind of job you want to do.
The second thing you need to consider is how long it will take to process your visa. Some employers require you to have proof that you'll be able to stay in the country for at least six months after your start date, so make sure you've got that ready!
There's an average of about eight weeks from application to receiving your passport back, but this varies depending on the consulate and embassy. Sometimes there’s a waiting period beyond this too, so please be aware of that.
Even with all of these requirements being met, you may still find that it is impossible to come into UAE as a worker. This can be due to lack of resources or time to process your visa, or even none at all!
The first step towards working in the UAE is getting a work permit. Getting this done takes around two weeks depending on how quickly your organisation can prepare their documents and materials.
After obtaining your work permit, the next step is applying for an entry visa. An entry visa allows you to enter the country so that you are not confined to working during your stay here, but also gives you more freedom to move about.
It’s not always like this, but most people living in Dubai can enjoy relatively simple immigration processes. However, there are some countries that take longer than expected to process visas so your best bet is to be aware of what to expect and when!
It's important to remember that while many things may seem straightforward at first, behind the scenes everything takes time. The more documents you have, the faster processing time you'll receive.
The way business works in the Gulf means that almost everyone needs a work visa at some point. Most employers will handle obtaining the visa for their employee but it is helpful to know how long these applications can take.
We've gathered all the information you need about employment visa processing times in Dubai here so you're ready whenever life gets busy! Read on to find out more.
Being able to work in the UAE is not limited to having an employment visa, it also requires that you have enough money to survive while you are here.
Most employers will pay for your flight ticket and accommodation either right away or within the first few days of starting work, but they will expect you to cover other costs such as meals and entertainment on your own.
In fact, many employers don’t even provide free transport unless you’ve worked for them longer than six months. If this is the case for you, make sure you have adequate savings so you aren’t left spending all your income on food and shelter!
There is no rule saying you can’t live outside of the country after working here, but most people don’t find it practical because of the cost. It may be better to look at local jobs instead if living abroad isn’t a possibility.
After you are offered employment, your employer will have you complete an I-129F affidavit form. This document verifies that you understand what their job posting or position requires from you and your availability during the length of stay in the country.
This is also proof that there are adequate resources available for your continued education while here. They may ask about scholarships or other means to finance your studies as well!
Next, the employee must file this form with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Once completed and filed, it takes up to eight weeks to receive confirmation via email from DHS.
After receiving approval, your new employer must then prepare and submit the necessary documents to prove eligibility for work authorization in the United States. These include medical records, proof of sufficient funds to accommodate your housing costs, etc.
The process can be quite time consuming but not overly difficult if all things go according to plan.
