No expat will be allowed to bring friends on visit to UAE

[STD]

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Immigration_and_Visas/10219645.html

This is ridiculous, outrageous and discriminatory!!!!! :yuk:

Beware non-US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ passport holders pilots wanting to join Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia...

You won't be able to sponsor a Visit Visa for your non- US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ passport holders friends!!!

Life in solitude...... :(

[White Knight]

Considering they're trying to bring as many people in as possible to spend money they are in fact shooting themselves in both feet:confused::confused:

As usual - it's not been thought through properly.................

[typhoonpilot]

One-month-long tourist visas, procured by tour operators and hotels will cost Dh100, as before. This may be renewed only once.


Looks like an opportunity for tour operators to make some extra cash by sponsoring a lot of "tourists".


TP

[Fox3snapshot]

Awww c'mon guys....$140 a barrel just isn't making them rich enough.

Won't be long before our 'luxury' items will be hammered again and expect a 100% +tax to enjoy our disgusting Western habits! :suspect:

Unbelievable!

[jai6638]

I honestly do not get the point behind this.. Why would they want to stop people from coming in and spending money here? The "friends", coming in, would essentially be tourists and benefit the local economy. Or is their way of restricting the influx of Asians from coming in since the Caucasians will not be affected by this?

[Sir Osis of the river]

Well,

I am Caucasian and I am affected. This is ridiculous..

Guess none of my friends or family or friends will be here any time soon to add to the coffers.:ugh:

[EK Snorkel]

Well I talk about the ones who came a couple of years ago.....:}

And who might leave soon....:p


I am flabbergasted .......

[TheFalcon]

US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ And I thought the UK was in the EU!! sheezzzz :p

[411A]

As usual, most pilots cannot see the big picture.
Most Arabian Gulf countries have a definite propblem with illegal immigration, IE; some third country nationals apply for a tourist/visit visa, then overstay their welcome.
They...'disappear'.
Hence, a problem.
Hence, the solution.
IF I ruled DXB, I would have done this quite a long time ago.
The 'government' want folks that will spend a holiday...not spend (in country) forever.

Get the drift...or have I not made it plain enough?
IE: TCN's, we don't want you, except on a controlled basis.

Makes perfect sense to me.
Yes, I know this will upset some...tough beans.
Get over it.:ugh:

[Thazright]

Out comes the CV again....... adios. Immigration, VAT, Salik... Ridiculous.........!

[Ketek400]

I will just have to ask my local friends flying with me to sponsor my friends then!

There is always a way around it! If there is no plan, we make a plan. "Boer maak 'n plan"

[wednesday10]

Thats as clear as mud then??????????????

Visit visa costs 500 dhs or 100 Dhs?

Are families going to pay a extra $600 to come to Dubai?

It will also make it harder to get cheap labour as a lot of the guys go back and forward to Kish/oman until they can find work, now they wont come here unless guarenteed a Job.

The ladies of the night will certainly be reduced.

[LearBus]

"This is ridiculous, outrageous and discriminatory!!!!! :yuk:
Beware non-US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ passport holders pilots wanting to join Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia...
You won't be able to sponsor a Visit Visa for your non- US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ passport holders friends!!!
Life in solitude...... :( "




I'm confused...:confused: It sounds from that article that absolutely no expat will be allowed to sponsor a friend. If that's the case then how do US/CA/UK/EU/CH/AU/NZ passport holders get exempt from the new rule? Am I missing something?


LB

[Ketek400]

I think what it means is that you pay Dhs 500 for a visa if able to sponsor, eg. family etc. The Dhs100 is only for hotel sponsored guests. The only way you will get your friends in is if you book a hotel for them and the hotel then does the visa.

What is the cheapest hotel in the UAE? They will make good dummy business!!!!

[Jet II]

Only applies to those passport holders who always had to pay for visit visas - it does not apply to the following citzens who are allowed free entry:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holand, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtain, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican

[grizzled]

"The ladies of the night will certainly be reduced."

Maybe I'll finally be able to get a seat in a bar . . .

Re the question about why it won't (or may not) affect some such as EU / US/ AUS / CDN etc:

The assumption is being made by some that those from countries that don't currently require a visa will not be affected. This point is as yet unclear.

The only right a residency visa for the UAE gets you is the right to be shafted -- by landlords, agents, gov't departments, and any other participants in the ultimate consumerist (read "greedy") society.

Ahh . . I occasionally remember the real world. Vague memories of clear shimmering water, shaded by tall leafy trees. Oh my God! Trees! I'd almost forgotten about them! And one can't go for runs or bike rides here. Or even walk without taking a break every fifty steps to duck into an air conditioned ATM cubicle to cool down to a temperature closer to the normal human range before setting out again for another quick march to the next man-made oasis.
And even if the outside temperature were bearable one couldn't get to where one wanted to go by bike or foot without being killed, or worse dragged for a few miles under a speeding Ferrari, Hummer or Mercedes, then being killed by the next one that zipped over you at 200kph. No concept of pedestrian movement at all here. No overpasses or underpasses, and very few sidewalks. Combine that notion with a philosophy of life centred on buying everything, and doing everything, bigger, faster, higher, more expensive than the next guy.
To let someone merge into your lane, or pass you, is the same as being defeated in battle. To use a turn signal (other than as a deception tactic before turning the opposite direction) is an admission that you have no faith in Allah to protect you.
In summary, living in Dubai is like living in a 3D movie -- playing on fast forward -- of what the future will be like when we have destroyed all other natural life forms, and all the mountains and rivers and tress and lakes are gone. And the humans no longer care. And the air conditioning on the movie set is broken.
Sorry . . . Did I digress a tad?

[Jockofthebushveld]

Guys lets not jump the gun here ! I think they want to control the people coming in and out of the emirates.So through EK we would be able to apply for a visitor as this will be controlled.(I really hope)I think there used to be an option at the HR bit where you could apply for a brother or parents visa...

Happy flying !

[Ketek400]

The problem is not for your family etc, but for friends! At the moment if you are from one of the countries who need a visa before entering DXB, you can go and get the visa for your friend from DNRD. Bit of a process, but at least it is possible, but after 1 Aug this will not be possible.

[Wingsofprayer]

There's no stopping them now... :mad::oh::yuk:

Major revamp of visit visa norms
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz (Our staff reporter)

12 June 2008

ABU DHABI — Under the new visit visa rule which comes into effect from August 1, residents sponsoring their immediate family members, which include spouse, children and parents, are expected to pay a Dh1,000 deposit, refundable on exit, Khaleej Times has learnt.

Besides, the sponsor seeking to apply for visit visa for his immediate family or first degree relatives (brother, sister, aunt, uncle) should draw a minimum monthly salary of Dh5,000, the new rule states.

Currently, visit visa for an immediate family member does not require any refundable deposit. The deposit of Dh2,000 is paid only in case the sponsor applies for visit visa for a first degree or second degree relative. However, it is not very clear whether the new visit visa rule requires a refundable deposit to be made even for immediate family members. A meeting of officials of the Naturalisation and Residency Departments of all emirates will be held today in Ajman to discuss and clarify all the fine points and procedural requirements of the new visit visa rule.

The amended rule, according to the by-laws, regulates issuance of visit visas and will now oblige the sponsors who want to bring their relatives to pay Dh1,000 guarantee which is refundable when the visitor leaves the country.

Colonel Darwish Eid Ebaid Al Meheri, Director of Visas and Residency Department at the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) at the Ministry of Interior, had earlier said, "The sponsors who want to bring their relatives to the country on visit visa must pay the guarantee of Dh1,000, in addition to providing the health insurance before issuing the visa".

However, the situation will change by August 1, as the sponsors (nationals or expatriates) who want to bring first or second degree relatives must deposit a Dh1,000 refundable guarantee.
According to Article 40 of the by-law regulating the implementation of the new visit visa structure, the guarantee deposit will be refunded once the visitor leaves the country.

Expatriate residents can seek visit visas only for their relatives such as spouses, parents, children, brothers and sisters. However, in case of friends, the sponsor must be a UAE national.

Meanwhile, if the visitor arriving in the UAE is a second-degree relative such as cousins or nephews, the application must be endorsed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) or approved by the director of naturalisation and residency of the respective emirate.

[Rule3]

Just sponsored a male friend, paid AED 2000 deposit, and after he left the country, I was refunded my AED 2000 minus AED 100, processing fee. :{
Yet another stealth tax.:=

[Rabbitwear]

So I invite my friends over at the airport I introduce them to there local sponsor . Sorry this guy owns you , you will have to scrub his floors and cut his 100acres of lawn just to get friday off then we can drink beer and visit the mall. You will need health insurance to pay for the wounds you receive for not working fast enough.
This place is absurd.........

[riakar]

I doubt the ladies of the night will be affected - it's good money for the locals who bring them in and the beauty is it's self-funding. So the up front investment for the visa just went up a bit but that'll be recovered from the service fees. It makes EY's decision to fly to Minsk a bit more understandable, as tarts are Belarus' only export - now you can't bring the same ones back there'll be good traffic to the UAE.......

[7x7]

I honestly do not get the point behind this.. The Emaratis have a secret code every bit as subtle as we in the West do in avoiding saying in the clear what they are all too clearly implying. This is aimed squarely at people from two countries immediately to the east of the UAE, many citizens of which for many years now have been bringing their elderly parents to the Sandpit to get free medical treatment in the UAE public hospital system.

[hfl1011]

Prob because they are from the 1st world!!!

[Left Wing]

this "rule" is purely directed towards Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans.....

[NG_Kaptain]

Yet those countries provide the labour to do all the work they wont do, except that source is drying up and now they are recruiting Vietnamese, Chinese and Malays.