Sandier Pastures

My permission to take the whole day off to attend to my family’s visa application process is granted but I am here in the office when I am supposed to be home getting some real rest. I had to get back to write something really good!!

Visas for hubby and kid finally approved!

After spending the whole day running around the Immigration Department and holding my breath at each counter, our papers were accepted and finally have the stamps on the passports. This sounds so simple and short but it was NOT!

The visa change, from visit visa (visa status when they came) to resident visa unbelievably took most of my month’s salary but at least we can sleep well now and wouldn’t have to travel all the way to Oman and enter UAE again just to gain extra 60 days. Everything is in perfect timing. 

The Immigration department has a special section for ladies. Women don’t have to wait on long queues and when I went to that counter and submitted the application to sponsor hubby and kid…the Immigration officer (female) smirked and asked me my qualifications and told me to produce documents to prove I have a high degree (educational degree she is referring) and that the documents should be translated in Arabic! Of course I panicked but I have mastered the skill not to let it show! I gently told her, I already submitted my university documents to my company who sponsored for my employment visa and since I entered UAE with the approved employment visa, I don’t understand why I have to prove them again here that I am qualified to sponsor my family.

By the way, UAE Immigration law states that, only wives belonging to certain job categories are permitted to sponsor husbands/children.  The wife should be a/an MA/PhD holder, Accountant, Administrator, Consultant, Economist, Legal Expert, Pharmacist, Physician, Electronics or IT Specialist, Engineer, Journalist, Laboratory Technician, Medical Technician, Nurse, Teachers and Doctor. My labor contract says I am one of the above…can’t really tell as it was all written in Arabic!

Our situation is rather tense because in the Arab world, the men are to be the providers of the wife/wives(!) and children and not the other way around. I know we confuse a lot of people especially if they learn that hubby quit his job just to follow me here. They just don’t know that it’s him who wants to come here, not me! My bosses always ask me all the time if hubby is already working and if he is not bored and tired of just staying at home! Truth is, hubby NEEDS to stay at home first, for now. Pristine has yet to go to school and of course, with the visa nightmare that we had, it was impossible for him to make job arrangements yet. And the question if he is bored at home? Far from that, I’ve never seen my husband so lively and happy everyday! He does all the housework and lots of extra stuff… he is way better than me in the home! And I am glad to see the bond he is developing with our daughter.

The typical arab culture is of course different. As for me, for now, I don’t mind bringing home the bacon — as long as someone cooks it for me, LOL.