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Check out the price tags at the bottom of the link!

http://www.uae-embassy.com/Visas.html

These guys are off their nuts! I can buy a residence visa for the same money as a 6 month multi-entry visa. I can tell you for certain that I know of two large oil companies that are no longer paying for visas for their staff here, nor are they doing meetings here anymore. It is easier and cheaper to visit Russia than here.

In the 3 years I have been here and the 9 my brother have been here, we have had no less than 50 multi-week guests (there was a wedding), and hundreds of 2-5 day guests. With the extortionate cost of flights from Canada to DXB, coupled with the expense of being here...I cannot see people splashing another $250 (min) to $500 to visit. The 6 month multi-entry is a joke as well, seeing as you can only stay 14 days. Obviously trying to avoid visa runs.

Why do Canadians need a visa and Brits, don't? I usually use the e-gate, so my passport doesn't get stamped, but when it does it can be for either 30 or 60 days, I wonder if it just depends on the mood of the person with the stamp? I never got a residents visa as I never stay more than 30 days as I work full time in the UK. I have been able to have a bank account and all utilities without a resident's visa. I had a problem importing something once, but it was transferred into my Emirati's friends name and sailed through customs.

It is because Canada denied Emirates Airlines landing rights to a bunch of other cities to "protect Air Canada". They got their panties in a bunch and imposed these rules. The official story is that the visa-waiver rule is for countries that have beneficial trade with the UAE! If you look at the list of 32 countries it begs the question "how heavy is the trade between the UAE and Andorra, San Marino (never heard of it) and Lichtenstein"?

As it stands now. I have an expired residency, can't get it canceled until court is cleared, but no one can tell me what I can do. I just wanted to get canceled and get a 30 day stamp, but as the court will not pull their finger out until after the new year, I am a little hooped. after I get paid from court, I can get canceled, and stay for 30 days but the processing of my next residency will take 6 weeks and I need to travel to the UK and Holland at the end of the month!

I went and spoke to the big boss at immigration and he just shook his head! I feel like Tom Hanks in "Terminal".

Bloody hell DD what a complicated life you lead! Take my advice and have another drink. BTW did you enjoy your Christmas celebrations in JBR (sorry slightly off topic there)

Guess I won't be visiting Dubai. I'd never pay $250 for a short stay visa.

Visitors from EU/USA and others that don't require a visa now get 30 days only, then a visa run is required.

sage & onion wrote:Visitors from EU/USA and others that don't require a visa now get 30 days only, then a visa run is required.

I think it has always been this way, although you can extend once for AED500 without leaving or even a drive to Hatta.

-- Tue Dec 28, 2010 2:43 pm --

Fingers crossed this one goes in the "too hard bucket", like the ID card. Guess I will find out in a few days.

Now you know how it feels to be like the rest of us !

The prices are crazy! Wonder how long it will last until they realise they're losing too much business.

Just dumb.

Chocoholic wrote:The prices are crazy! Wonder how long it will last until they realise they're losing too much business.

I hope Canada screws them back. Currently it is CAD $75 for a multi-entry Visit visa for a UAE National, CAD $400 for an entire FAMILY. That is 1/14th the cost for an individual and if we consider a family of four people, that is 1/10th the cost.

dubaidog wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:The prices are crazy! Wonder how long it will last until they realise they're losing too much business.

I hope Canada screws them back. Currently it is CAD $75 for a multi-entry Visit visa for a UAE National, CAD $400 for an entire FAMILY. That is 1/14th the cost for an individual and if we consider a family of four people, that is 1/10th the cost.

Canada IS screwing them back: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/canadian ... tID=368713

Seriously though, the UAE will feel the effects of this spat at lot more than Canada.

Well to be fair, not really Canada does more trade with UAE than vice versa. Bussiness is not only tourism and visitors. Plus having been in the industry for a long time, there isn't much a Canadian tourism market here either. Main target market is Europe. UK and Germany being the biggest. Now its also focusing on other Asian regions like China, Malaysia, Indonesia etc etc aswell.

Surpringly the Canadian govt has taken off the figures off its website
http://www.international.gc.ca/global/e ... e-eau.aspx
But I had used them earlier so were saved on another forum

Merchandise Trade Data
Figures in $CDN (2006) 2006 % change over previous year
Canadian exports to UAE ($millions) 787.36 +34%
Canadian imports from UAE ($millions) 94.08 +42%

Can't have changed too drastically over the years. Also big deals like this one.

http://www.provincialaerospace.com/Medi ... lsUAE0223/

And how much happens vice versa.

So IMHO I don't think UAE has much to loose to in this deal. Although it doesn't make sense to make it difficult for people wanting to travel here i.e loose passenger traffic to here. Which I believe the whole spate was all about in the first place.

Well, intelligent countries work with their airlines to encourage tourism. Singapore offers an easy no-strings-attached stopover to people. No extra money when transiting on Singapore Airlines to stop over for 48 hours and see the place, they have a free bus service, etc. We do this all the time when flying through. Seems to me the UAE has their hand in your pocket, their nose in the air, and a mountain of red tape.

And DDS, with over 25,000 Canadians living here, there will certainly be a financial spin off. As far as "how the rest of us feel"... Canadians are not used to this and simply will not bother. ESPECIALLY those residing here and knowing how hard it is to get anything done. $250 for a visit visa for a week's trip is ludicrous. For a family of 4, that means a G-note just to get on the plane. Believe me, ordinary canucks don't have an extra 1000 bucks to blow. That would equate a week's pass for the family at Disneyland with food, and with a strong Canuckbuck, short travel time, a better option.

Kooks.

Thast what I am saying, kinda. In these tough times people should be about attracting bussiness and people not making it tougher even for the exsiting ones.

Although my other point was, that they most probably have weighed their options and decided it won't make much of a difference so who gives a toss.

I mean I have never seen in my life UAE be so agressive with anyone. You know with all the visa regulations, base closure and UN thing. Maybe there is more to the story than it seems ?

benwj wrote:Canada IS screwing them back: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/canadian ... tID=368713

Using a catering truck to put an Emirates A380 out of service - brilliant!!! Yeah, serious payback.

dubaidog wrote:Well, intelligent countries work with their airlines to encourage tourism.

The UAE tried 'intelligent' reasoning with Canada to no avail. But i agree that the UAE are now acting a stupid as the Candians have been for several years.

benwj wrote:

dubaidog wrote:Well, intelligent countries work with their airlines to encourage tourism.

The UAE tried 'intelligent' reasoning with Canada to no avail. But i agree that the UAE are now acting a stupid as the Candians have been for several years.

I guess that is also a very crucial part of the story. Canada was/is guilty of protectionism aswell trying to protec their failing national carrier which doesn't make much sense to me honest. The UAE's only request was for more landing rights for direct flights to UAE not a sector being served by Air Canada or anyother carrier. Their complaint was that this would steal passengers on connections from Europe. Now how is that possible with a direct flight I don't know.

I guess thats what kinda Pee'd off UAE aswell. Credit is given where credit is due, UAE was being generous to the Canadian govt and Canadians ( Use of camp mirage, free. Visa waivers etc etc ) and guess not having a simple request not accepted kind of pushed it over the edge.

And as always in such disputes its the innocet bystanders like DD who get affected. Although I do sympathise, but its not always UAE's fault in everything by default.

I agree that protecting Air Canada is dumb. Canadians will fly anyone BUT them if they can. They should just let AC die a quick death and let Emirates come in. The sectors they were after are not serviced by AC now, anyway, so not sure what the point is. Whenever myself or any family or friends fly from this part of the world to Canada, it is ALWAYS Emirates to either Toronto or some point in Europe, then Westjet from TO to the other point in Canada, or a European carrier from Europe to Canada.

Thinking about it now, I don't know a single canuck that has flown AC in recent memory.

As it stands right now, I cannot get a visit visa, nor cancel my expired residency! I believe I am officially stuck here. Oh well, all my stuff is safely in Australia, and there is always the "secret way out"...that will become an option in a month or so. No panic for now, but I would like to get to the UK and EU.

benwj wrote:

dubaidog wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:The prices are crazy! Wonder how long it will last until they realise they're losing too much business.

I hope Canada screws them back. Currently it is CAD $75 for a multi-entry Visit visa for a UAE National, CAD $400 for an entire FAMILY. That is 1/14th the cost for an individual and if we consider a family of four people, that is 1/10th the cost.

Canada IS screwing them back: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/canadian ... tID=368713

Seriously though, the UAE will feel the effects of this spat at lot more than Canada.

Sorry, I don't see how that link expounds on how Canada is screwing them back, unless you are suggesting that a catering truck accident with the A380 wasn't an accident.

-- Wed Dec 29, 2010 4:25 am --

Sounds complicated DD - hang in there!

The UAE will feel the impact, because tourists will definitely not come, an businesses will likely fly staff to a neighbouring country to hold meetings if the cost of visas for their personnel creates too much expense or too many complications.

Note the visa info DD linked to shows that these visas are "non-renewable"... still scratching my head about that one. (What is the waiting period to be able to get a new one?)

kanelli wrote:[
The UAE will feel the impact, because Canadiantourists will definitely not come, an businesses will likely fly Canadianstaff to a neighbouring country to hold meetings if the cost of visas for their personnel creates too much expense or too many complications.

Fixed it there for you K. As said earlier not many of those compared to the rest, so at most UAE will feel a negligable impact.

Also " an businesses will likely fly Canadianstaff to a neighbouring country to hold meetings" Or they will just pay for the visa for one employee rather than fly out the rest from the UAE just to hold a meeting. Only if there is a large contingent comming in.

I have great respect for Canada and Canadians but most of them are a pretty unrealistic when it comes to this. I know they are very patriotic and thats a good thing but that sometimes clouds their judgment in such matters.

Well DDS, I think most people realize that I was talking about Canadians since this topic is about Canadians needing the visas. Thanks for clearing that up though.

DDS, we are very realistic when it comes to this. We don't put up with this crap. There are only 25,000 Canadians here in the UAE, but I assure you , they are in top positions and decent dollar earners. The biggest loss will be from the oil companies. I can tell you now that Weatherford out of Houston, TX is not doing visas for Canadians (visit or otherwise) their employment base is heavily Canadian and the costs and will be too much (with their residency package, and them footing the bill).

My brother's next trips to the UAE have been changed, they are meeting in Bahrain where it is way easier and cheaper to get things done. Think of the HR implications on the visa red tape vis-a-vis the paperwork and all. Weatherford has a new policy where they will not splash for the visa, and any non-essential UAE staff (such as those working in neighbouring countries) will be having their residencies canceled (fact).

As a Canadian, I am looking forward to telling my tales of the UAE and the crap we get put through here. Fortunately, we are on our way out and can see this place in the rear view mirror. These guys don't even know how to transfer/extend/???? my visa/legality in a few days. They really should get with it.

Yes, DDS, you might detect a sense of entitlement here. But camp Bravo was certainly not to protect my butt in Canada, and we are the first to join the USA/UK forces on the warfront in a holy war. If we all packed up and went home, this place would be a REAL sandy dump in no time flat. I think my frustration is borne of being stuck in a place I have no interest in being a part of, nor does it want a part of me.

Bring on Australia.

I understand bro, but like I said you really think they care ? The policy unfortunately here always has been if not you then "we'll get someone else" until there are people willing to come here ( not for very long though ) It will stay the same. The Canadian govt unfortunately is taking it lying down though.

Going to Australia ! Ah ! thats why I thought you were Australian first , remember ? Must have mentioned it earlier and thats what I caught on too. Will catch you over there, but it'll take a while, if you know what I mean

I wish I could import my friends out of Dubai for a visit, because I have no interest in returning except to see friends. There is nothing else I miss about Dubai or want to see there. Having a $250 visa to enter just makes the decision of whether to visit or not a lot easier.

I find this posturing by the UAE quite ridiculous!
This means I would have to cancel my plans for visiting Dubai!
However, its another story when I say that I find Canadian air-fares too high. Had to travel to San Antonio, Texas recently, and the airfare was almost double from a Canadian city....had to drive south over the border and catch a flight from there.
Maybe, more air carriers might mean some price reductions.

Bora Bora wrote:

benwj wrote:Canada IS screwing them back: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/canadian ... tID=368713

Using a catering truck to put an Emirates A380 out of service - brilliant!!! Yeah, serious payback.

That happened weeks a go and the A380 wasn't out of action for weeks, but merely a few days for repairs! I know the guy who was flying that aircraft and saw photos of the accident and the repaired wing - no biggie.

Most Canadian passports holders in the UAE aren't CANADIAN anyways...

Ambassador wrote:Most Canadian passports holders in the UAE aren't CANADIAN anyways...

Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:

Ambassador wrote:Most Canadian passports holders in the UAE aren't CANADIAN anyways...

Knight

Thats a view-point that I can understand. And the attitude that goes with it.
If it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it must BE a duck......