This week has been consumed with not only classes, but trips to the Ministry of Health. So we received our visas when we got into the airport in Dubai. They're pretty on a slightly peachy colored paper with a shiny sticker on the front, but then we have to get them processed.
The International Exchange Office was trying to be as helpful as possible, but the process changed from last semester, so us International Exchange students went in batches to the Ministry of Health to get our paperwork processed, and boy was it a process. We come in and take a ticket. This ticket is for getting our UAE ID that we need while in the country. Then our name gets called, we provide proof of insurance. Some of the students ran into trouble if the expiration date wasn't on the card, but if it was handwritten on, then all was well. We then pay the fees for this at a different desk, come back and hand the receipt to the first person. We then are told to make copies of our visa and passport and another type written paper that the first person has given us. So we go wait in another line. There's another line to get passport pictures taken at if you didn't have any with you. When we went, the photographer was on lunch break at three in the afternoon, so we waited about twenty minutes for him to come back. Then we turn pictures and copies into the first person and finished the first process of getting our ID application in. We get mailed that in about three weeks.
So we then go down to the medical part of the building to get blood drawn and chest x-ray. They're checking for HIV and Tuberculosis. It's the last step in the process for that trip and I was exhausted when I finally got back that evening.
Today I went with one of the groups to pick up that paperwork. After doing so we needed to get it typed up for a third and last time, paying for the cost of the medical stuff. I just came from turning in the bundle of paperwork and passport to get my visa processed. We were really happy to find out that it will get processed within three days, starting Sunday.
Overall it wasn't too bad. I agree with some of the other people that it wasn't an easy process, but I found that some of the people were helpful in showing me where I needed to go next or what I needed to get done. I'm just glad the process is done.
The International Exchange Office was trying to be as helpful as possible, but the process changed from last semester, so us International Exchange students went in batches to the Ministry of Health to get our paperwork processed, and boy was it a process. We come in and take a ticket. This ticket is for getting our UAE ID that we need while in the country. Then our name gets called, we provide proof of insurance. Some of the students ran into trouble if the expiration date wasn't on the card, but if it was handwritten on, then all was well. We then pay the fees for this at a different desk, come back and hand the receipt to the first person. We then are told to make copies of our visa and passport and another type written paper that the first person has given us. So we go wait in another line. There's another line to get passport pictures taken at if you didn't have any with you. When we went, the photographer was on lunch break at three in the afternoon, so we waited about twenty minutes for him to come back. Then we turn pictures and copies into the first person and finished the first process of getting our ID application in. We get mailed that in about three weeks.
So we then go down to the medical part of the building to get blood drawn and chest x-ray. They're checking for HIV and Tuberculosis. It's the last step in the process for that trip and I was exhausted when I finally got back that evening.
Today I went with one of the groups to pick up that paperwork. After doing so we needed to get it typed up for a third and last time, paying for the cost of the medical stuff. I just came from turning in the bundle of paperwork and passport to get my visa processed. We were really happy to find out that it will get processed within three days, starting Sunday.
Overall it wasn't too bad. I agree with some of the other people that it wasn't an easy process, but I found that some of the people were helpful in showing me where I needed to go next or what I needed to get done. I'm just glad the process is done.
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