Required Documents in getting your family to Qatar

Qatar is one of the richest countries in the middle east, thus a lot of people are trying to get here. Expats who belong to a good salary bracket even brings their family here. In my opinion, bringing the family here won't be that hard if you have complete documents ready for checking. 

Photo taken at Corniche, Doha Qatar
2014 © nix|glg

I believe there are different kinds of requirements depending on what kind of visa you're going to apply for your family. Some applies business visa for their family just to get here quickly. However that will be too risky; yes you may easily get the business visa but the problem will be on the side of your relative coming here.

This applies especially to filipino expats that are planning to take their family or those who wants to come here. Always take into consideration the situation we have in the philippine immigration. It's not easy to get pass through the philippine immigration, especially when you're not a registered overseas filipino worker. 

My mother and I are working here, but sometimes work can be too hard when you don't see yourself growing or improving in your company. Somehow, transferring to other company crossed my mind. The problem is, if I resigned, the company is going to cancel me. I can come back under my mother's visa and as advised by a friend, the following are the required documents that I should prepare:

1. Attested copy of NSO birth certificate proving our relationship

2. Attested copy of Marriage certificate of my mother and father

3. Valid passport

Documents that she needs to prepare:

1. Valid Qatar ID/ Iqama copy

2. Valid passport copy

3. NOC from the company stating that they don't have any objection on my mother sponsoring me to come to Qatar

4. Certificate of employment

5. Salary certificate stating her monthly salary

6. Contract documents from the house she's renting

7. And most especially the complete filled up form

You can download the form HERE and visit the government office that works on visa processing to get more details regarding this. I haven't tried applying visa for any relative so I cannot really give a concrete advise on the process, but I hope the above mentioned can help. 

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Get pass through Philippine Immigration

The last time I posted an article, it was about getting your documents attested in the Qatar embassy, and now I am writing another article while sitting in my bed on a Friday night here in Qatar.

My mom has been working here for almost 20 years now, just like any other filipino bread winner, I went here for the purpose of earning a living. I was lucky enough to receive a call from an Interior design company here in Qatar while in the Philippines; eager to help, I grabbed the opportunity. I fixed all my papers as fast as I could, I travelled Baguio-Tarlac-Manila just to make sure that my documents will be prepared as soon as possible.

The company wants me to start the soonest possible time, so I didn't waste time. I processed my own paper and didn't go to any agency as per HR's instructions. According to her, it will take me too much time registering as OFW as well as them spending a lot of money.

Before they process my working visa, they required supporting documents like OTR, Diploma, and other supporting documents that will be needed to prove that I am entitled the draftsman working visa.  I submitted all the documents they required and searched for some tips on how long a visa can take to be released. Based on my research, it may take 2 weeks to more than one month depending on the requirements you gave them or how your HR processed your papers; well i'm lucky enough to get my visa after 3 days of submitting my documents.

As soon as my working visa was released, I booked a flight to singapore, why?

We all know that we cannot get out of the Philippine immigration if we're carrying a working visa without registering in POEA. So the fastest way is to go out as a tourist. I booked a tour package to singapore to get pass through our immigration.

Is it easy to get pass through immigration?

Listed below are the few possible questions an Immigration officer might ask you:

1. Where's your destination?
2. What's the purpose of your travel?
3. Do you have any friends with you?
4. Have you experienced traveling locally? (just incase it's your first time for an out of the country)
5. What's your work?

Since it's my first time to travel out of the country, the IO immediately gave me a form to fill up and have an interview with other IO's. They are going to ask you a lot of things to confirm if you're lying regarding your travel purposes. The main reason they off-load a passenger is they don't want us to end up miserable in other country especially when we're going out without being registered as an ofw because if something happen to us outside the country we will not get anything from the government as they said.

Anyhow, determined as I am, I just told them i'm going to singapore for tourism purposes since I just graduated 3 months from that time. You really cannot hide the feeling of nervousness once you're already speaking face to face with an immigration officer, my hands are as cold as ice but I tried my best to hide it.

TIPS:

1. They will surely ask you if you're employed, so bring a company ID as proof that you have a work and that you're surely coming back.

2. Ask for a leave form from the company or a proof that you didn't resign from work.

3. If you're planning to go out of the country to look for work and you didn't get to process your papers in the POEA, do not file a resignation letter yet.


I arrived 4 a.m. on the 19th of august 2014 in Hamad International Airport. :) Started working the following day and now have a legal Qatar residence ID and a registered OFW. (after registering in OWWA here in Qatar)

Get your documents attested in the Qatar Embassy HERE.

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