Permanent Residency Visa's to Dubai

Yo... I'm here in Dubai + Sharjah as well. What we are doing, mainly to get working permit and with that a residency visa/driving license, is to start our own company. You basically have the option of 1) Being employed by someone and as soon as your contract expires you must leave and 2) Start your own company, but that is quite a hassle (last month we were here for 10 days and now I'm on my 3rd day already with small progress every day). To start a company you start by finding a local (Emirati) who will "sponsor" your company (he is called a Kafeel), give him about 10.000 AED (if it's a VIP he will require much more) per year and give him 51% of your company shares. This can be tricky because many of the locals will do a lousy job when you are requesting them to sign documents or show up somewhere- we skipped several after hearing around about their reputations...
Those who require big $$ (the VIP's)will likely be much less hassle (they are often doctors, police officers etc.).
What we are fighting for is to include the word Nordic in our UAE company name as they will only allow Arabic names, or your own legal name ("Uzi Malik Paper Import LLC"), because that term is used in our two other companies in Europe and Asia and we would like to continue that.
If you do exactly what they want (basically here in the UAE they will want you under them as much as possible) then everything will go smoothly...

Ps. Mind you that you cannot buy or drive local cars (exception is the rentals) unless you have a residency visa, which will allow you to show them your driving license (they will give you a local one after an eye sight and - of course - sexually transmitted diseases check at their optician/doctor).

UAE is a b**** when it comes to laws for workers/expats, compared to western countries where everyone basically have the same exact rights. You should join one of the many expat forums where these type of questions are answered already. There are many Americans like yourself who have been through the same and many questions are also covered by the very decent UAE official websites (try Googling).

My post is messy but that's what I know/understand so far. Lots of people come to Dubai with big dreams but the place is crawling with hustlers so be careful with new friendships...

 

You can visit as a tourist and speak to people about the need in your area of work, but the visa duration will be short and you cannot rent an apartment, drive a car, open a bank account, etc.

Only once an employer hires you and goes through the process of sponsoring you, can you obtain a work residency visa and do the foregoing things. Setting up your own company is quite expensive (and you will have to rent office space for it in order to establish the company). Medical insurance is also mandatory. Winding up the company once you have found work and sponsorship is also expensive.

The ability to stay here while unemployed is very narrow; basically once your job ends you will have a short grace period within which to leave or find another job. Some "stay" by doing frequent visa runs to renew a tourist visa but that is expensive and not always a practical option.

Employment agencies do exist for most lines of work which can help find a job but the risk of being taken advantage of can be quite high.

 

Uzi,

You and I have corresponded numerous times about various things, and you know I know 'the deal.' After living here for 23 years now, I think I have a pretty good idea about how things work.

Dubai, well for that matter, anywhere in the Middle East, is NOT (let me say that again), IS NOT, the place to show up with limited funds to look for a job.

The above posts capture the essence of getting a visa/residency, but there is so much more to it.

Unless you're independently wealthy, and just don't want to live in the US anymore... this is probably not a good move.

As for an 'immigration attorney,' you'll never, ever, get citizenship here, in any country in the Middle East, and attorneys aren't just waiting around to help people get residency visas when that process is very normal and standard for every employer in the country.

I suggest that you really, seriously think about this... if you're serious about moving to Dubai, find a job first.

Seriously,

Mike

 

Some of the news stories on Dubai scare the crap out of me...

Employers supposedly take your visa on arrival, and its tough to get it back.

Lots of stories of expats in jail due to owing money. No such thing as bankruptcy or writing off bad debt. Your wife, may dislike it also...

Seems like a nice place to visit. But if anything happens... Good luck. If your daughter gets raped... Remember, it's HER fault.

Bo

 

Uzi,
Middle East is for visiting only. Unless you have a nice job and can look the other way, you don't want to be there for any length of time. People who look like you (I am guessing you look Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi) are treated like fourth-class citizens. You will experience slights every day, some big, some small--on the road, at the mall, etc.

The evolved Arabs are not the ones you will be dealing with. Remember that.

Try for Singapore instead. You won't be able to keep your Viper there, but that's the only drawback.

 

I agree with Mike and Zack. Great to visit but not for staying... You have to arrive with a plan (job), the dream of Dubai really bites anyone who does not have a plan...
Plus, they only got fancy architecture and man made attractions (their Safaris and offroading in the desert is the only nature thing) - you can see/do all of that within a three week vacation but you may get bored after that... I don't know, I need nature around me, I could not stay here just for that very reason. Concrete jungle... Extremely cool place to spot amazing cars though

Let me also add that the heat during summer months can get unbearable...

Our plan is to stay 2-4 years until my father retires. No intention to stay longer than that!

 

The heat, and humidity, IS unbearable. But, you get used to the air conditioning.

I came to Kuwait on the 2-year plan... 23 years ago.

But, I have a great job, make good money, and have the only Jazz Trio and Rock Bands in Kuwait...life is what you make it anywhere, but you can't make anything worthwhile in the Middle East without a large nest egg, or a better than decent monthly salary.

My rent payment, plus utilities, on a 4-bedroom villa in Kuwait is over 1,700 Kuwaiti Dinar (more than $4,800) a month.

My advice is to seriously have a solid plan, and a job, before you get on an airplane.

Mike

 

Good luck, Uzi! If you can land a top level job based on your American background (that has to score you some points) I'm sure you can earn very decent money too.

All the air con/outdoor transitions makes my head hurt a lot... There was some heavy rush outside the hotel today and I decided to walk to the mall which is 15 walking minutes away (you have to be really lazy to take a taxi for that distance, I thought - also it was rush so at the time it was a no-brainer). It was just around 40 degrees Celsius and I started sweating so badly that my pants started sticking to my legs after 6-7 minutes. I had to cool down for 1/2-1 hour when I arrived at the mall and later the hotel... That warm body + sudden cooling of your sweat = major headache.
Even waiting on the streets at night trying to catch a taxi during the summer months can get really heavy because it can be around 35-40 degrees (Celsius)! You can air condition all you want but you will go through several minutes of ridiculous heat every normal day (did I mention the heat in the underground parking complexes with no air conditioning? Jesus Christ...)

You could probably get used to it if you live here continuously, though...

My thoughts go out to the poor outdoor workers (street cleaners etc.), seriously, those guys deserve so much kudos.

 

its not as bad as what its made to seem.. Come on guys everything u said can be applied to any country.............4th class citizen come on. I am from the UAE and i do have some racial treatment in the USA and Canada too, but no you cant say that i guess. Anyways I dont want to turn this into a racial war.

Interms of citizenship you can never get it unless you are very very very very very very close to a ruling family member (like a very very very very very close friend or business partner ) then they can place an order for you and you will get the citizenship. If you are a female and get married to a local then after five yrs you are eligible to get the citizenship.

So in ur case lets talk about visas..

1- as an american you get a visiting/tourist visa very easily at the airport. But its of a limited time.
2- for something of a longer duration you either need to be employed by someone and depending on ur nature of work you can get a 2 or a 3 year residency visa.
3- third option is to open your own business and in this category you are considered an Investor and you get a 3 yr residency visa too.

So as said previously if you want to open your own business you need a local partner. So the documents will say 51% owned by the local partner and 49% is owned by u.

By the way people here r making it seem that we are greedy. But NO we are not. I for example am a partner with many guys who came from abroad and i havent taken one cent from them. So my name is just there on the papers so that they can be here legally. And I know of many who are doing the same. Not all join to take your 51% that you are working hard for. Unless I am truly ur partner as in contributed to the business and gave u 51% of the capital.

Come visit the place see how you like it first before committing to a major move.
As for the heat everywhere is air conditioned, unless you are out in the elements all the time then you will feel the heat, well guess what its hot in Arizona and Vegas too but everyone still visits.


Good luck with your move.

 

I think Abu Dhabi is a better place

 

+1 and agree

You can also open your own Offshore Company in a Free trade Zone (RAK, JAFZA) and getting your Investors Residents visa which is valid for 3 years.

 

its a great place to visit for a 2 weeks but living there is completely different. I just left there after 2.5 yrs and so happy to be gone.

 

I have been in Dubai for the last 7 years and I absolutely love it. I am European by the way.
I would not believe any of the BS that is being passed around by people who never been here or who came here and didn't make it and had to leave. Most of it is greatly exaggerated. Yes, Dubai can be very expensive but so can any big city around the world. You set your own budgets and choose your own lifestyle.

Dubai is a great place to settle down if you have a family, very safe and you have access to absolutely everything. The standards of living is extremely high and you can have a fantastic life here.

The easiest way to get a visa (unless the obvious one of getting a job) is to open a freezone company (FZ LLC). These do not require a local partner and as a foreigner you can have 100% ownership and no need to involve other people. Please note most freezones especially in Dubai will require you to rent office space before they hand you your trade license. If you don't really plan to use the company for conducting real business and you just need the visa then this might be a problem. Some freezones in other emirates like in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) can provide you with a virtual office if you get a license from them. Getting a license there is also considerably cheaper than Dubai about 18-20,000 Dhs (about $5500). This will get you, as the shareholder, a visa that is valid for 3 years. The company license needs to be renewed yearly.

Hope this helps. Do your homework. Line up some meetings or interviews and don't come with an empty wallet. This advice applies when moving to any place, not just Dubai.

 

Very safe!!! You sure...

Latest News, Pictures, Video, Multimedia | Gulf News - The Middle East's News homepage to see all the crime ....

 

Yes I am positive, I didn't say there is NO crime, I said its very safe. And I will keep saying it because its a fact. I am here with my family, I have a 4 year old daughter, we go out and about all the time and not once I felt there was even a hint of danger to anyone.

There is crime everywhere in any big city in any country but in comparison I feel a lot safer here.

 

Dubai seems VERY safe, judged by the total of two months I spent there. Never felt unsafe, I walked everywhere in every hour of the day, no problems.

 

Glitzy, fake, and built on the backs of slave labour. If you don't have a conscience, and can look the other way, places like Dubai, Senegal, India are all great.

If slavery and abject poverty and discrimination bother you, do not go.

 

Ate Zacharia pou se enoxlise to slavery sto Dubai tora ...

Sorry for the Greeklish above but I had to comment to Zack in our own language.