Visas/Immigration

Apr 16, 2012 by blackbook

When going on a cruise holiday it is important to make sure you have all the necessary documents. These may include visas and of course a passport. There are tales of missed sailings and delayed departures because a cruise guest did not have all the right documents. Make sure you find out what is needed at the time of your booking and don’t leave those documents at home.

With the increase in security concerns as well as issues with drug smuggling, cruise lines around the world are taking extra precautions to make sure cruise travellers are safe and secure.

About seventy percent of cruise ships sail the waters of North America, many departing from ports in Florida, California, and New York, especially for Caribbean cruises. If you will be flying into the United States for your cruise, make sure you have the necessary documents to enter the US.

If you are flying elsewhere to your cruise ship, make sure you can enter that country. If you do need a visa, apply for it well in advance. You will need your passport to enter and leave the ship so make sure it is with you every time you are boarding or leaving. Also, if your ship will be stopping at international ports of call, you might need the necessary visas to disembark and go ashore. The cruise lines will be able to advise you on what documents you will need. Remember that rules change often, so check with your cruise line and travel agent for any last-minute changes.

Picture courtesy of blmiers2

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Private Schools in the Gulf – A Brief Overview

Apr 8, 2012 by blackbook

If you’re an expatriate working in the Gulf and you’ve got a family, when it comes to one issue, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re working accounting jobs in Dubai or Qatar petroleum jobs: all visitors who have taken Gulf jobs will have to decide how best to educate their children. And the vast majority of expatriate workers educate their children in private schools. Here’s why.

Most private schools in the Gulf are run for (and managed by) English speaking visitors; even the Indian and Pakistani schools in the region teach in English, as do most of the International Schools. Private schools in the Gulf tend to be co-educational and cover the educational age gamut from pre-nursery right through to university entry exams. Expatriate mothers often take up the opportunity of pre-school private placements in kindergartens, play groups, nurseries and infants’ schools, not least because they get to socialise with other expatriate mums.

Private school standards in the Gulf are generally very high, although regimes and curricula tend to look rather laid back and relaxed. It’s advisable to apply for places as early as you realistically can (you’re likely to need a headteacher’s appraisal or previous school reports in order to do this if your children are already in school). Your child is also likely to be required to sit an exam – and parents are also usually interviewed.

Schools tend to run their week from Saturday through to Wednesday in the Gulf, beginning at 8.30am and finishing at 2.30pm. You may well find that school fees (which can be high) will be paid for by your employer as part of your contractual agreement. But be aware, even so, that fees tend to increase as your child gets older, and especially if he or she enters university.

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What is a Sponsor?

Mar 24, 2012 by blackbook

When looking for jobs in Dubai or any of the Gulf States you will need to have a sponsor in order to obtain the correct documentation such as visas and ID cards. This is normally the employer, and the sponsor is deemed to be legally responsible for the worker while they are in the country.

A sponsor will apply for the work permit and the worker will have to provide all the correct documentation for this application. This will include relevant birth and marriage certificates, medical certificate and copies of qualifications if required. The sponsor will also help the employee to find accommodation. Some larger companies may have accommodation which they reserve for employees, although most people prefer to choose their own.

The sponsor will usually have a member of staff whose job it is to help new employees to settle in to their new surroundings. Sponsoring employers can help to provide language training if required, and can also help employees to understand and respect the differences in culture.

A sponsor may also be required to hold the passport of a foreign employee. Some Gulf countries require that this is done in order to make it simpler when carrying out spot checks on companies. The idea is to ensure that there are no illegal immigrants being employed by the company.

Applying for jobs in the UAE or any Gulf country means that you are subject to a number of rules and regulations and it is the duty of the sponsor to ensure that these are adhered to.

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How to Move to the Middle East for Gulf Jobs – Going it Alone

Mar 3, 2012 by blackbook

So, after months of researching jobs in Kuwait, jobs in Saudi Arabia, Qatar IT jobs, Oracle jobs in Dubai, etc., you’ve made your choice and you’ve got a firm job offer. Now it’s time start thinking about the process of moving.

If you’re taking a lot of furniture and other possessions with you, you’re probably best off using the services of a professional removal company. But if you’re travelling light and you’re not that keen on letting strangers go through your personal items, it’s quite possible to make the move unaided.

Become a lover of lists: write down everything you plan to take, and then start getting ruthless with yourself. What do you really need? Every square metre of removal room you use will cost you. If there are things you could do without (moving is a good way of getting rid of ‘dead wood’), now’s the time to sell them or give them away. If you won’t need them but can’t part with them, find out about putting them in storage until you return. Whittle your list down to a minimum. If you can get everything into your luggage within permissible limits, great. If not, remember that you can hire a 7.5 ton van with an ordinary driver’s license (but make sure you’re permitted to drive it in your destination country and any that you need to pass through in order to get there).

Invest in some wrapping materials and containers – you’ll be grateful, not only because they’ll spare you unnecessary breakages, but they’ll be easier to unpack at the other end, too (properly labelled containers save a lot of time and confusion). Leave yourself at least a week to get everything packed and make sure you’re capable of navigating any narrow roads or stairways at your new accommodation. A rule of thumb is: if you can’t get what you need into a 7.5 ton van, go for a removal company.

Picture courtesy of Bri YYZ

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A rather giant panda effect at Edinburgh Zoo sees visitor numbers soar by 200 per cent

Feb 22, 2012 by blackbook

Giant pandas are around 2-3 ft. tall and can be up to 6ft long. They weight approximately 220-250 lbs. and are listed as endangered, with only 1,600 remaining in the wild.

Pandas play an important role within the animal kingdom- and it seems their appearance at Edinburgh zoo has had an extremely positive effect.

After the recent arrival of the two large pandas, there has been a 200 per cent increase in visitor numbers at the zoo.

The pandas arrived at the zoo from a reserve in China on December 4. They first went on display for the first time on the 16th December once they had acclimatised to their new surroundings.

Already the pandas have attracted 700,000 people after first being put on display, at the end of last year. This is more than three times the number of visitors to the zoo in the same period in 2010. Alongside this, approximately 1,000 soft panda toys (some as expensive as £40) have been bought from the zoo shop each week since the pair arrived.

The chief executive of the zoo, Hugh Roberts, explained that the zoo had been fully booked almost every day since the pandas arrived and that they expect the popularity of Tian Tian and Yang Guang to continue. He continued to explain how all visitors, young and old, were amazed when they saw the pandas. As for many of the visitors it was there first time that they had seen such animals.

Visitors do not have to pay any extra to see the pandas. However, time slots do need to be booked due to the high popularity of the animals. There are approximately 200 spaces available for each half-hourly interval with the scheme being extended to March, to ensure that as many people get to see the pandas as possible.

Mr Roberts added: ‘People are often amazed to see for themselves that pandas are quite happy to make eye contact and our visitors can learn lots of interesting facts from our panda patrols, like pandas eat a third of their bodyweight in food every day and the male pandas do their own version of a handstand to scent mark their territory.’

Picture courtesy of drs2biz

 

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Gap Year – The Kuwaiti Option

Feb 4, 2012 by blackbook

If you’re young, in search of exotic adventure and you don’t mind working hard and getting your hands dirty, gap year jobs in Kuwait might be just the right option for you. But make sure you’ve secured your job before arriving in the country – if you turn up out of the blue, be warned that you’re likely to have a fruitless search, especially if you’re after temporary or casual work. For the most part, it’s already gone – but some areas may yet be available.
 
A good proportion of expatriate workers in Kuwait are on fixed term contracts, usually of twelve months duration, but a substantial number of subcontractors manage to stay in the region for several years, often following an initial fixed term contract. You’ll quickly find that there’s a close-knit and helpful expatriate community in Kuwait to help you find your way – even if you only intend to stay for a very short time.

Young westerners seeking ‘gap year’ Kuwait jobs need to be aware of a few harsh realities. You’re going to be up against a large number of Asian workers who are desperately seeking work, often for wages much lower than you’d normally consider getting out of bed for. But if you do decide to get out of bed, just for the experience, and you’ve secured your Kuwait job through a reputable recruitment agency before arriving, with a little searching you could find work in recruitment agencies themselves, or in secretarial and administration work. Retail work tends to be most available at the height of the tourist season, but there are likely to be other openings, if you’re prepared to be open and imaginative, including driving for companies offering desert tours, and ‘street level’ market research interviews.

Picture courtsey of xiquinhosilva

 

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