Visa Problem
 

ok ive been working in dubai now for 9 months and my employer keeps reassuring me that he has applied for my visa, but as yet i still dont have the work visa, i was doing visa runs when i was supplied with a car but since October 10 2010 i have not been on a visa run, because i dont have transport anymore. now i am so scared that my boss has lied to me and he has never applied for my visa as this should have been processed long ago, now im nearly 4 months overstay here and i just dont know what to do, i have heard stories of people going to prison for 6 months for the same crime but this is not my crime or is it? please help some one, tell me what i can do to get this sorted out. thanks so much in advance for any help u can give.

Re: Visa Problem
 

To say you've been naive is an understatement . Your boss has had you over and now you're looking at a massive overstay fine or even worse .

Get in to see your company and find out what your status is and get it sorted. Did it not occur to you that they may be a bit of a problem as you are 9 months in without the correct documentation ?

Re: Visa Problem
 

Honestly you should not have let it get to this point.

Most things in Dubai can be sorted with a fine in my experience. My wife's company messed her around for 2-3 months but paid the fines on overstaying and did sort it out in the end.

I would point out to your company that it is in their interest to either sort your visa, or get you out of the country and settle all fines. Because they've been employing you illegally for the last 9 months, which is not going to go down very well for them either. Tell them you're going to go to the labour department to discuss/report the issue.

Re: Visa Problem
 

hummm... Russian Roulette - he has been working illegally too.

How have you been living without a visa? e.g. pay, rent, banking, driving. Sounds like BS to me.

Re: Visa Problem
 

Since two weeks of the overstay ive been on at my boss every day asking for my visa to be sorted out, it was only a few days ago when i visited a bar and got chatting to a worker at the labour department and he told me that for uk citizens it only take 1 day to process that i started to get really worried, i will speak with my boss again and demand this issue be sorted out. thanks for your advise.

Re: Visa Problem
 

i have been working and getting salary, rent is paid by employer, my boss told me that as long as the labour card has been applied for then its ok to work. now i know otherwise, I will speak with the labour office on sunday and get advise from them

Re: Visa Problem
 

Ask yourself why your company would employ you illegally? It's a risk for them as well as for you.

Re: Visa Problem
 

we did a visa in around an hour the other day

Re: Visa Problem
 

thats why i thought what my boss was telling me was genuine, but still i dont have my visa.

Re: Visa Problem
 

bet u did not have a 12k fine tho did you? that is what my fine is now and i can not afford to pay it, if i could i would do my visa run in quick time.

Re: Visa Problem
 

You're up shit creek then . Get the money from home , pay the fine and go home and call it a day.

Put it down to experience or inexperience

Re: Visa Problem
 

Make copies of all your paperwork, including emails from your boss regarding your promised employment in Dubai, his assurance that the visa is being processed and assorted paperwork submitted. Keep it in a folder.

Then go to your boss and tell him that if he doesn't get the visa sorted out ASAP, within one week, no excuses, you have no choice but to report him to the Dubai Municipality.

What do you do, anyway? I'm left wondering why a company would take you on but not get you a visa? Do you not have a proper HR department with a PRO?

Re: Visa Problem
 

If you're in a bad position and have no choice but pay the 12K, take your boss down with you. Report him. File a case against him. Make him suffer.

Re: Visa Problem
 

many questions in this case!! but first to clarify if you overstay as a national of one of the visa exempt countries you could be over by 10 years and you will still only ever be asked to pay the fine of 100AED every day..... jail will not be an issue if you are able to pay (the joys of comming from a country on the visa exempt list)
I set up "Sort It" a company dedicated to clearing up issues the expats may find themselves in, without worrying about having to pay the huge legal fees that lawyers charge over here or the fear of jail!! if your employer has been promising a visa whilst you are working for him then it is not your problem as he will end up in trouble for this. if you have proff of his promise this in itself will help you if a problem ever comes up.

Does he have your passport?
if not, AED 400 to doha on visa run each month is your best bet untill you see the visa in your passport.
Listen If you need any advise please feel free to contact me directly and I will point you in the right direction:confused:

Re: Visa Problem
 

Ok first thing calm down - you most certainly won't go to prison.

You need to speak to your boss and tell him you are going to the immigration and see what he does.

You should go though as you'll have to pay a fine, but for 4 months you're looking at about AED 12,000.

Get it sorted ASAP mate. Your boss has screwed you over.