British Expats - Passport Renewal

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mrkjd

Feb 9th 2019 8:53 am

Passport Renewal

I am currently in UK between work contracts and have a UAE Residency Visa in my UK passport. My passport has 6 months validity left on it, and my UAE visa 9 months.

If I renew my UK passport now can I just re-enter UAE with both passports and they will transfer the visa from the old passport at the airport? (did this in Saudi ages ago). Or will I have to apply for a new visa for the new passport whilst in the UK? I don't have a firm start date for the new contract so am undecided on whether to just hang on to my old passport/visa combo and sort it when back in UAE but if the start date gets knocked back then I may run into this problem then.

TIA

Millhouse

Feb 9th 2019 9:37 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkjd (Post 12634583)

Just keep them together - you will enter on the old passport/visa combo - they will issue the new visa into the new passport when due. Most people just staple the two passports together.

mrkjd

Feb 9th 2019 9:48 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Thanks Millhouse. Isn’t my old passport cancelled when UK Passport Office issue the new one? I was going to do it all online but perhaps if I visit one of the offices they can sort it.

Millhouse

Feb 9th 2019 9:51 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkjd (Post 12634607)

Thanks Millhouse. Isn’t my old passport cancelled when UK Passport Office issue the new one? I was going to do it all online but perhaps if I visit one of the offices they can sort it.

Yes - but the visa inside it isn't cancelled.
You leave England on your new one.
You present both old and new in the UAE - but make sure you tell them you have a residence visa in the old one. They do it all the time and know what to do.

archie159

Feb 9th 2019 10:56 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Surely your old visa would have been cancelled when your last contract finished? If they terminated your employment at the end of the last contract then they should also have terminated the visa.

mrkjd

Feb 9th 2019 12:09 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

Thanks Millhouse. Sounds straightforward enough.

Visa wasn’t cancelled as follow on consultancy work was imminent.... but project still not kicked off!

hnd	Feb 9th 2019 6:03 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

How long has the OP been out of the UAE? Don’t visas become invalid if the holder is out of the country for six months or more?

Pongo

Feb 9th 2019 6:07 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by hnd (Post 12634800)

How long has the OP been out of the UAE? Don’t visas become invalid if the holder is out of the country for six months or more?

Yes

gottheTshirt

Feb 9th 2019 6:11 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkjd (Post 12634607)

Thanks Millhouse. Isn’t my old passport cancelled when UK Passport Office issue the new one? I was going to do it all online but perhaps if I visit one of the offices they can sort it.

The system is geared for this - you get your old passport back with the corner cut off - in the old days, if you still had valid visas, they bound them together with red ribbon now you have to keep them together yourself.

mrkjd

Feb 9th 2019 10:57 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

Thanks for the replies. I remember having old passports with the corners cut out. Wasn’t sure how it works these days since my last passport is pushing 10 years ago.

Didnt know a UAE visa automatically becomes invalid if not in country for 6 months. Good to know. I have a few months left yet but if this new potential contract gets delayed much more then things may get tight!

reddiva

Feb 10th 2019 3:53 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkjd (Post 12634896)

Dont staple them together. Immigration do not like staples. Just keep them together with an elastic band

Millhouse

Feb 10th 2019 5:40 am

Re: Passport Renewal

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12634926)

Dont staple them together. Immigration do not like staples. Just keep them together with an elastic band

very true. Especially in the UK on the egates as the machines get confused

mrkjd

Apr 29th 2019 4:53 pm

Re: Passport Renewal

To resurrect the original post as the OP ..... that new contract didn't renew and I continue to be on "Gardening Duties" in the UK. But this raises the question of the current visa becoming invalid. Now my sponsor in the UAE should have cancelled everything properly but it appears they have not done so and are just presumably waiting for the visa to become invalid as I did not return within 6 months.

Would a visa becoming "invalid" in this way have any ramifications on me getting a future visa through a different sponsor for a future contract? Have I been marked as a "no-show"? The ME is a likely source of future contracts for me and I don't want anything to cock-up the chance of future work. I suspect the sponsor kept the visa ongoing to ensure I didn't jump ship and apply for work contracts through another agent who may have been in completion with them.

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