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I will be arriving in a few weeks. My wife would like to work, probably as shopgirl or something similar. Does this pose any problems? Does anyone know what the average pay is in malls and shops?

I will bring her over on a tourist visa and do the paperwork to get her a residence visa, as well.

Blake,

Good luck with the move, im sure you will love it out here!

I have sent you a p.m and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards

Ashley

Some people who work in stores here in Dubai get very low pay by Western standards. I've heard of cases of some people (Asian workers) in stores only making around five hundred dirhams (AED 500) per month. How they can live on that in the UAE and also send money back to their home countries I don't know....

Some employers don't like spouses with resident visas. They acutally prefer people on visit (tourist) visas even though that is illegal.

it is possible for a spouse to be issued with a work permit (to work for a company) and still remain on his/ her spouses' residency visa.

although this costs about 10k a year and i subject to a yearly medical (not a 3 yearly as with normal employment visa's).

in all instances i know, the company will ask the employee to carry the additional costs.

I know many people do this but out of curiousity if your wife is on your visa is she even allowed to work? legally i mean? or is a spousal visa more like an investor one in the sense that you are only allowed to live here?

A spouse visa is purely for residency.

Blake wrote:Does anyone know what the average pay is in malls and shops?

Depending on employer size, type, location and position offered could range anywhere between 1,500 - 5,000dhs.

fayz wrote:I know many people do this but out of curiousity if your wife is on your visa is she even allowed to work? legally i mean? or is a spousal visa more like an investor one in the sense that you are only allowed to live here?

let's assume for the sake of the example that the husband is employed and the wife is on/ under his sponsorship - - - -

she is entitled to apply for a job as long as she meets the criteria for a labour card to be issued, this means some form of attested qualification, job offer and a legal labour contract. in which case a labour card is issued to her in her own right and has nothing what-so-ever to do with her husband and any residency sponsorship issues.

the difference comes in that she can choose to remain on/ under her husbands residency sponsorship or move to that of her employers.

as i said previously most companies would prefer her to move to thier sponsorship due to the additional cost and yearly administration. it costs approx. 10,000 aed (per annum) for the labour card to be issued like this - for a spouse to remain under her husbands sponsorship as well as the yearly medical.

this is why, if the wife chooses this option most employers will not cover the yearly renewal cost and will only cover up to the amount they would normally spend on a 3 yearly contract renewal.

ah thanks for the clarification.