Moving to Bahrain for work
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Hi all
My friend from Kenya might be moving to Bahrain soon for work. This is direct employment which she negotiated directly with a restaurant.
She has given them her passport copy, photos and medicals. The employer has applied for a visa - am not sure what type of visa. They said it will be processed within 2 days.
They have asked her to search for the price of a one way air ticket to Bahrain for them to consider sponsoring for the air ticket.
We have the following questions:-
1) Can she be allowed to enter Bahrain on a one way air ticket or does she need a return ticket? I have seen pots referring to dummy tickets but I am not sure what this is.
2) What type of visa would the employer have applied for and how long does it take to get it?
3) Is the employer legally required to pay for the joining air ticket and should it be a return ticket?
4) The employer has applied for a visa but have not given her an offer/contract letter. Should they give her a contract of employment first for her to sign/agree before she travels and is this in Arabic or in English?
5) How many days off per week or fortnight is she entitled to and also annual leave per year?
Thank you.
I arrived in Bahrain on a one way ticket. I had my contract in hand.
She should sign a contract first, it will be in English and Arabic.
Other things would be whatever your friend negotiates with her employer but when hiring from overseas usually ticket to Bahrain and then back to home country at the end of contract seems to be normal.
Leave I have no idea. Check the labour laws
dear bedh,
1) Can she be allowed to enter Bahrain on a one way air ticket or does she need a return ticket? I have seen pots referring to dummy tickets but I am not sure what this is.
as fchaudari76 replied, you can come on a one way ticket. But it depends on what visa your coming with, sometimes if its a visit visa they could ask you for a return ticket and if its work visa you dont need to have a return ticket.
2) What type of visa would the employer have applied for and how long does it take to get it?
employer can apply for different type of visa's, some employer apply for visit visa first and then change it to work visa and some directly apply for a work visa. The time for visit visa (business) if applied max 2 working days and work visa may take upto few weeks (depends on lot of factors)
3) Is the employer legally required to pay for the joining air ticket and should it be a return ticket?
I don't think there is any legal factor regarding the ticket, but most of the employers do provide one way ticket when arriving and after completion an year with yearly ticket allowance. Negotiate it with the employer.
4) The employer has applied for a visa but have not given her an offer/contract letter. Should they give her a contract of employment first for her to sign/agree before she travels and is this in Arabic or in English?
Offer letter is a must, which that you dont have a proof. The letter usually is in English, if its in Arabic you could request the employer to send one in English so that could understand the terms and conditions of the offer.
5) How many days off per week or fortnight is she entitled to and also annual leave per year?
I am not sure about this point, usually 24 working days or 30 days. But depends from employer to employer.
---- Bahrain labor law ---
http://www.rrc.com.bh/media/141168/labo … 12__1_.pdf
Good luck
T&R
Thank you everyone for your reply and the information you have given. This is very helpful. Thanks again.
Hi
Could you let me know how the Work visa and the Visit visa should read i.e. what is written on the visa?
I hear that they you get the visa by email and then you get one put on your passport at the airport on arrival in Bahrain. If this is correct, what is the next procedure after this?
Thanks
Hi,
yes that is correct, they will send you an visa by email you can print it and get it along, once your in the immigration counter they will stamp the passport at the airport. Rest everything should be taken care by your potential employer
T&R
Hi LogicalIndian,
thanks for your reply. Could you let me know what is written on the Work Visa or the stamps they put at the airport and how do I tell if it's a work visa or a visit visa as I have never seen one.Thanks
well that i would not be able to show it to you, i have not come across any and the old ones may have been changed now, so if anyone else on the forum has anything to share i am sure they would reply back.
thanks logicalindian. we just want to make sure she knows if she is coming on a work visa or a visit visa.
Hi all
I have finally been able to check the employment visa status on the LMRA website.
Among others, it states Employment visa is in progress. Monthly fees: Paid; Health Care Status: B.
I think this is good news but I am not sure of the following:
1) Could someone let me know what the Health Care status B means?
2) Do expats pay for their own health care costs in Bahrain or is it free?
Thanks
dear bedh,
5hutterbug replied to you regarding the same in the duplicate post you created.
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=458442
T&R
Hi logicalindian
Thanks for your reply. Sorry for the duplicating. I wasn't sure if to start a new post under a different topic or to post as a follow up to my previous post as this was related to my previous post/title. So I posted twice.
Also not being a regular user, other things am not sure about is which category/topic to post it under etc.
Also could you help on how I can access all my posts if I need to?
Thanks
If you go to View Profile - under the little person icon in the top right hand corner of the screen you will see a list of your latest activity with links to the individual threads.
Hope this helps
S
Thanks MummyT.
this is helpful. I am now able to check my previous post.
ta
Gud day everyone!i ws going to ask the same thing if its safe to work in bahrain now adays hearing about this ISIS things got me scared.i was offered to work there as a general cleaning worker i want to go there but hving second thought of accepting it.pls help me guys wna hear from you.thanks
Bahrain is perfectly safe. Just don't put yourself in a place to get into any trouble. But the same thing can be said about just about every place on the planet.
Maybe we should put an update on that pinned topic about the situation here? Still safe, but people may want to see a more recent date stuck to it.
Hi all,
Just to let you know that my friend's employment visa has now been approved - Thanks and glory be to God.
Yesterday (11/4/2015) the status on the LMRA website was showing "Employment Visa in Progress".
When I checked today (12/4/15) the status is showing "Valid Employment Visa" with her full names showing there!
I am so excited for her! I don't feel like closing the LMRA page. I feel like looking at the page again and again and looking at the green status not the previous orange colour!
Thanks for all the people who have been posting on this forum. It's been very helpful and very educational.
I know we can google some of the info on the net but it saves a lot of time sometimes when asking people who have already experienced it and it definitely takes the stress out from people who are worried! I have learnt a lot since the first time I posted on 19th March (see my first post above) re this issue!
For those who might be wondering how long it took for the work visa to be processed:-
- 17th March - We first supplied the required documents to the employer who then applied for the visa but I don't know which date they applied.
- 24th March - The employer asked for a clearer passport copy as the other one had been returned by the Govt agency as it was not clear.
- the passport was resubmitted to the LMRA I think on 25th March.
- 25th March I was able to check on the LMRA website using the passport number and from that date onwards it has been showing "Employment Visa in Progress".
12th April status changed to "Valid Employment Visa".
However, like others have stated on this forum, please note that visa processing times are very varied and depends on many factors and so no two cases are necessarily the same!
All the best for everyone.
I will definitely be back on the forum soon enough, maybe to discuss business ventures, and will definitely be visiting Bahrain in the near future!
Bedh
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