OriginalSunshine

Only if your residency permit states you are Muskim or one of you has a Muslim sounding name. Otherwise it's not an issue. Neither place is Saudi

oneshandyandy

Great, thanks, that'll come in very handy! If she gets the job of course.

Pollyana

Trust me, its possible. Many couples in the US and Aus forums have sustained relationships for months - or even years - while wating for visa grants to allow them to live in the same country.

oneshandyandy

It can be very tricky! Especially with our countries of nationality, moving to either wasn't really an option without getting married.

She's got the job, though no contract just yet, so we're not completely at ease. I'm optimistic that it will come through as it's with a fairly well reputed company within the region. Now we just need to work out how to narrow the 4-5 hour gap, but it's a big improvement on 31 hours in planes!

archie159

Sorry for the delay. I asked my Argentinian friend this question last weekend, and he thinks that she could come here for 30 days, extend for 30 days, but would then have to be out of the country for 30 days (ie she cannot do a simple out and in border run). But he was not certain. He's offered to ask the embassy, as he is now curious to know also, but this might take a week or so. I'll let you know if he gets an answer (unless you post to say that you have found it yourself).

oneshandyandy

Thank you very much for your reply, it is appreciated! I couldn't find a solid answer anywhere, all I found seemed out of date and said 30 days in UAE, 30 days out, so if she could stay for 60 that would be amazing. If your friend is able to ask at the embassy without too much trouble I would be very grateful.

We're still in a bit of an uncertain situation - I'm now in Dubai but she's still stuck in Argentina with a contract signed for work in Muscat which is taking suspiciously long to materialise. If she could stay for 60 days that should hopefully be long enough to secure a job out here, but at the least it would be long enough to catch up with each other and be apart for another month or two before she does find something.

Thanks again!

OriginalSunshine

Ah crap. MoM might be playing silly buggers with work visas for females again.
She may well have the job, but then her work visa is dependent on Ministry of Manpower not having a falling out with their cousins aunts uncle from Nizwa who looked at their sister niece in a funny way at the wedding in Salalah last month who is high up in Ministry of Immigration and has decided to make life difficult for the MoM official in charge of the work visas for a particular job.....
Sometimes they take a week, sometimes they literally can take a year, to materialize. You're on Muscat speed now, yanni. It will transpire, inshallah.

oneshandyandy

Haha I hope this isn't the case! She spoke to her employer the other day and they seem fairly calm about it, and said that the visa should hopefully get approval in the coming week. Indeed, inshallah!

oneshandyandy

Update!

We're both over here now, as described originally! Still unsure about the visa situation. I have been able to make the trip there a number of times, the drive isn't too bad (except when it rains). She has not yet had the opportunity to come here, but will have her passport returned to her soon. Having looked online it seems like she must apply for the visa, even though she is a GCC resident? It's not very clear, looking in different places you seem to get different answers. Does anyone have an official link with clear information on this - or maybe a link to some contact details I can use to ring up and ask please?

Cheers!