Family residence permit | ExpatWoman.com
 

Family residence permit

12
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 June 2012 - 12:56

Ladies, has anyone got some reliable information regarding the 6 month bank statement business for family visa?
Both hubby and I are due to start working in Qatar in september. We have been told that DH would have to go first, get his RP and sponsor me and my children, which should be a matter of a few weeks. However, many threads on EW, QL... Seem to bring up the 6 month issue. Is this for all nationalities and for all professions? Would it make a difference if I am actually working too (for the same company, which I hear seems to be a good Qatari company) would it be a different type of visa? What about our children? Any support greatly appreciated. Thanks.

12
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 July 2012 - 00:38
Sorry everyone, had not checked my thread for a while. I have been told by HR as well as people already working for the company, that the 6 month is the rule, but the company who sponsors my husband (who will sponsor me to work for the same company) has told us that it shouldn't take anywhere near 6 months for us. But reading stories from different people makes me anxious again... tory - why are you doing this? Do you have some information that you could share?
331
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 23:21
My kids have been attending Sherborne for the last year without RPs (don't ask, very long story that makes me tired just thinking about it) and every now and then we just write them a letter updating them on progress of RPs. The kids haven't been kicked out yet! Double check with your school - maybe nurseries are stricter than the schools....?
102
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 23:13
Oh no - so its possible that my LO's might not be able to start school when we get there? DH is under strict orders to find out ASAP because if that's the case, we're going to have to stay here until he can sponsor us. Is there a way a company can sponsor the family? I'm shocked that we have to find this out via the Internet rather than his HR dept filling us in?
616
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 13:32
Who knows. This six month thing appears to be an internal requirement! Only made the QFC comment because there are so many new lawyer flooding into new QFC firms in Doha (or so it seems to me!) :)
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 13:06
No, not a QFC company Lalala. Its a public listed company. Perhaps they have some pull??
89
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 12:35
It definitely depends on who you work for I think. I am British and I arrived with my DH in November. They processed our RP's at the same time and it took less than a month for me to get mine. Although I know at least two people who are having to wait the 6 months before they get theirs, which seems ridiculous to me. They are here and just do visa runs when they have to. I don't see why you should have to wait in the UK for 6 months, despite what your OH's company says. Personally, I'd move with him and do the visa run. x
36
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 10:04
I am sure it is different for everyone, but I can assure you that we are British and arrived two months ago with a baby and my husband has his RP, but has to have 6 month payslips before we can get ours. There was no way we were waiting in the UK either for 6 months (anyway we moved from Dubai) and so we came and my daughter and I are on tourist visas. The visa is stamped for a month (company reimburses the cost) and then they extend it here for a month. We then have to do a visa run every two months (it's only 3 though) which the company pays for (most go to Bahrain and back in half a day but we went to Dubai as the cost was the same and we have friends we can stay with). I have been able to get a temporary driving license (again because I am British) which cost 150 QR and has to be renewed everytime we get a new visa. I am pretty sure after only being here for two months that this varies for everyone and so it is best to ask your company, but it's not so bad really. A visa run is an easy thing to do and would never be enough to make me have stayed away from hubby for 6 months.
616
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 08:35
Gina - is it at a QFC company? Highly likely that the QFC have a way around this. If yes, I wouldn't take his experience as representative (not that this means it isn't true). That said, it all seems to be down to how much influence the company have with immigration (and how much they're prepared to use it).
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 07:16
I've got a friend doing his RP at the moment and I asked him about the 6 month thing and he said that its not true. He's a lawyer so I'm guessing he has looked into it...although it is possible that its "true for some and not for others" as often happens here. You might find also that the amount of weight that your PRO can/is willing to exert might have an impact too. I find it very hard to believe that they are really doing this across the board otherwise they will be potentially seriously limiting the number of people prepared to come here. I know that as a family we would not have been prepared to spend 6 months apart/transiting.
102
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 July 2012 - 22:10
JHI - have you had any further info on this? I'm also concerned about the 6 months wait as we're due to arrive in September & I've already registered my 2 children at nurseries. I've have been told that they can't start until they have their RP's so does that mean they can't start until march next year? I flipping hope not - 6 months with them at home all day will drive me bonkers ;) I'm wondering if I'm better off staying here in Dubai & letting DH commute until its sorted.....
12
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 June 2012 - 01:12
The employer is not recommending the visa run and would rather have me and the children wait in the UK the time that they sort out the paperwork. Which is fine for me if it's going to be for 4 to 6 weeks... But not 4 to 6 months. DH and I have started the process of moving now, resigned from our current jobs... So we'll just have to go with the flow and hope for the best. But still, I would like to know so that I can get organised. Our employer has assured us that it would take a few weeks, let's cross fingers.
676
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 22 June 2012 - 20:32
You have probably realised from reading the other posts on here that it is very difficult to ascertain "reliable information" as the rules seem to change regularly. I think your best bet is to see if you can find out what has happened for any other recent hires. These things DO differ depending on your nationality, profession, and the company. If it was me, being from one of the countries that can get a tourist visa on arrival, I would come at the same time as my husband and then do visa runs until I was able to get an RP - it may only be a matter of weeks or it could be for the full 6 months. I would also prefer to be sponsored by my husband and work, rather than sponsored by an employer, just to avoid any exit visa or NOC issues. [This is also assuming that accomodation is not an issue'>.