I am a Dubai resident who has worked as a dock attendant for the past three years. My contract expired on January 30. Before the expiry date, I received a message from my company advising me that my documents needed to be renewed and was told to go for my medicals on December 17, 2020.
I am still working, but have yet to receive my visa and Emirates ID. I have asked the company’s public relations officer for an update on several occasions, but he says he submitted my documents to immigration and is waiting for the visa stamp. It has been about two months and I am concerned that I may have a problem, or they could have banned me.
I went to immigration to find out more about my situation and they told me to bring my updated ID card, which I could not do. How can I find out if my renewal is being processed? MN, Dubai
AMN has confirmed that he wants to renew his contract of employment with the company, which is a mainland employer. As the previous contract and visa expired on January 30, a new visa is required from that date only.
Standard practice is to apply for a visa renewal a short period before it expires. It is unusual to have a visa medical so far in advance, but that should not be an issue. An employer who arranges for an employee’s visa renewal is unlikely to ban them, and companies need a reason to do this.
I would expect complete documents to be submitted for processing in January and it can take a little time, especially as many government employees are still working remotely.
Visas are processed first and ID cards usually follow a week or two later. The time from visa expiry to the date of the query is not unusual.
A company’s PRO and human resources department should be aware of the progress of any application and can advise employees how long it will take to complete.
If they are not being helpful, a person has a number of options they can take to check. However, MN will require the application and reference number, which the PRO should provide upon request.
As this is a Dubai visa, the application can be tracked through the website of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. Alternatively, inquiries can be made through the Amer website or its online chat function.
Visas are processed first and ID cards usually follow a week or two later
Dubai has its own visa-renewal system, so if anyone wishes to enquire about visa applications in other emirates, they should visit the website of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
_________________
Ten years ago, I had to leave Kuwait due to personal issues and because the company I worked for filed for bankruptcy, I did not receive all my pay and was unable to make payments on my loans of about $15,000.
Will I have any issues transiting through other GCC countries for a connecting flight even if I do not plan to fly through Kuwait? Also, will I have any issues entering any of the GCC countries, excluding Kuwait, as a tourist? PV, the Philippines
PV has not confirmed if he has an immigration ban imposed by Kuwait but given the circumstances, it seems likely that this could be the case as it involves the non-payment of debt.
The six-member GCC countries share a great deal of information and if a person is banned from entering one country, it is possible that that information has been shared among them. This means that PV could well have a problem entering another GCC country, but this is not always the case for smaller debts.
To know for sure, PV would need to contact the immigration department in the country he wishes to enter to check if he is banned on their systems.
When someone transits through a country, they do not officially enter it, so a ban from entering should not cause an issue if a traveller is just passing through an airport.
That said, there is still a risk in doing this as a flight can be delayed or cancelled and passengers will then need to pass through immigration if there is an extended wait for their next flight.
If someone is in doubt about whether they are banned from entering any country, it is wise to carry out all possible checks before travelling.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 25 years’ experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
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Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
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Article 15
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RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
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