Joining soon-to-be husband in AD next year

your son could register for courses, either part time or full time, have a look at twofour54 in Abu Dhabi, they are doing lots of really interesting media type courses there, or SAE in Dubai (which i hear are moving to Two Four 54 this year.

If you live in AD i would try and work in AD also The drive into Dubai daily would grate on the most chilled out person! It isn't the length of the drive it is other drivers! yep and to be honest the main ad/dxb road isnt the worse!!! but long and boring. my hubs did it like 15 years ago from ad island to dxb that journey was back then 3 hours!! its easier now because they upgraded the road, so its more accessible, hence why everyone moved to dxb because its cheaper!

If you live in AD i would try and work in AD also The drive into Dubai daily would grate on the most chilled out person! It isn't the length of the drive it is other drivers!

Hi there my husband has been offered to work permanently in Abu Dhabi,we would move out from Scotland with our 17 year old son and our little white dog .Can I ask what options there are for my son ,he is at the moment doing an access course to enviromental science. boys here have to be sponsored (not so for girls upto a certain age) so they either must be in full time education or they must be sponsored by a company. Once they reach 18 they have to be sponsored to stay in the country.

From my understanding, one must be 21 years old to work so he must be sponsored as a dependant by your husband, same way you will be under his visa as his spouse. The only options for him are: 1. Enrol your son in a suitable college, university, high school here in the UAE which will enable him to work towards his goals 2. Your son could study online/correspondence/homeschooling There is not much option for a 17 year old boy here in the UAE. You could such online to find a suitable college etc. Many of the universities here in the USE offer dormitory facilities so he can study in the one which offers him the best subjects/courses and degree. Environmental issues are becoming big business here so he is looking in the right area.

Hi there my husband has been offered to work permanently in Abu Dhabi,we would move out from Scotland with our 17 year old son and our little white dog .Can I ask what options there are for my son ,he is at the moment doing an access course to enviromental science.

Thanks Mrs B ...very helpful <em>edited by Toms Mum on 22/11/2012</em>

To Tomsmum, You certainly won't get a position in a university without at least a master degree but with a bachelor degree (at least studying online for it) and a TESOL certificate or diploma, you should be able to get at least an adjunct position teaching English in one of the private schools or language institutes. As you will be on your husband's visa, you won't be looking for the big package that includes medical insurance, accommodation, airfares etc that allow us to survive here. I suggest you study for a TESOL certificate or diploma and perhaps train as an IELTS examiner and/or marker - with both these, you should easily get a position in a language institute and part time work perhaps as an IELTS tester and/or examiner - just a thought. Good luck

Afternoon ladies I have been reading your thread with great enthusiasm as I am also due to join my husband next year. I was very interested to learn about the TESOL qualifacation and would love to have a go at it. The only problem is that I do not have a degree and I understand that this could pose a problem when I try to get work out in the Emirates. Bearing this in mind do you think it would be worthwhile ny studying towards the TESOL or would I still be unemployable after undertaking the course???

Hi all, New here, thought I’d get a head start on finding out as much as I can about getting settled in Abu Dhabi. In short, my fiancé has been in Abu Dhabi for 7 months now and as he is not intending on returning to the UK too soon. I will be hopefully joining him after our wedding in April 2013. I have visited AD and Dubai and both are nice places which I can see myself living in. However the need to find a job is the biggest worry at the moment. I am currently mid-career working as a registrar for a London Borough Council (marriage ceremonies, birth/death registration and nationality checking), although I do have previous experience in charity administration and a year abroad teaching. Jobs with the British council out there seem quite scarce but I continue to look and broaden my scope, particularly interested in working with the local government agencies there, partly because AD is so government-centric I guess! If anyone has some advice for job searching as a female UK national in general then would love to hear your comments. In the meantime I am browsing this forum for interesting info! Hopefully soon I’ll be able to meet for a coffee with some of you AD ladies too! All the best, Ally_J. you cannot legally come over until you are married, then you can get a visa. sometimes its easier to be here, and get a job on a local contract. but keep trying as if you can get a job from outside you may get a better deal.

Once you are married, you can get a residency visa attached to your husband's visa as his spouse. The main stipulation is that his wage is at least the minimum permitted to sponsor a wife in the UAE. Paper work is simple. He can go to immigration in AD and apply there. Regarding work, if you have experience teaching and have the appropriate qualifications, you could get a teaching position (full time and part time) in many of the schools as an English teacher. If you don't have teaching qualifications, you do have time between now and April 2013 to complete a certified TESOL course at a recognised college. This would enable you to teach English in one of the private schools here. It would not be enough to teach in a government school (you would need a bachelor degree in education, minimum). To teach English at college or university level, you need a minimum of a master degree in an English related area such as literature, but, preferably a master in education with a focus on TESOL. An alternative is to become a certified IELTS examiner and marker - this is an excellent qualification for this region as all university entrance is based on this exam. Unfortunately, in the UAE much of the administrative work is very low pay and attracts Philippina and Indian nationals who are happy to accept lower salary and benefits. Such a position might be difficult for you as a UK citizen to find. What about your embassy? Do their hire locally??? I suggest you put your CV on the careers websites that service this region stipulating AD as your city of choice. (I did this when I was looking for a job here and had so many really good offers). The alternative here is to be sponsored by your new husband and try to look for a job once you are here. That would give you time to finish a TESOL course if that is the direction you would like to follow. There is also some short term contracted seasonal work and adjunct work available here at the colleges and universities as well as schools for TESOL teachers who are already residents - you need to be here to visit the colleges, schools, etc, meet the right people and "put your name down" for future positions with them. Good luck!

Ah a registrar, now there's someone I could I have done with some advice from a few weeks ago. Also getting married next April in the UK, but as I don't reside in the UK and hubby-to-be is not an EU national everything was looking a bit complicated, hopefully got it sorted now though :) I've been here 6 years now, and have friends who have worked for the British Embassy here and various government entities so may be able to point you in the right direction. You might find something like a PA/EA in a government entity is the best option (good for working hours/public holidays/expat packages). Careful if your hubby works for a government entity as well though as they might not duplicate some benefits so might not be as good an offer as it seems. If you need anything specific leave your email and will drop you a line.