Over staying on Tourist visa

5POSTS

7 years ago

I had the RP of Bahrain and multiple visa from Saudi Arabia on my passport but on 13th March my CR expired and it was not renewed by the company. In the meantime my Saudi multiple visa was expiring on 27th of May and I entered on 25th of may to Bahrain through Saudi causeway. When I entered Bahrain emigration department did not inform me and they put 2weeks free tourist visa in the system as my CR and RP was cancelled by LMRA as it was not renewed for more than two months. As I had to leave on vacation and when I reached airport on 15th of June airport authority told me go back as there is no information of your company in the system although I had RP on my passport valid up to 2020. Later after three months agent renewed my CR and checked my status and told me that I am leaving on tourist visa which already expired on 8th of June.

My sponsor wants to correct the status by paying overstayed period and applying for new work permit.
My question is that I have to leave the country for applying for new work permit or I can get work permit without making an exit from Bahrain. Or can I get work permit in this case as I was overstayed on tourist visa.
Please advise and suggest best option as my agent is telling me that you can leave this country and only he can apply for work permit.
Best Regards

Mohammad

See also

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GuestPoster15874 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

Mohammad Beg New member

5POSTS

7 years ago

Thank you for the link but its not clear answer of my problem

XTang Bahrain/UAE/KSA Expert

11978POSTS

7 years ago

If you are overstaying on a tourist visa, you have to leave before a new work permit can be applied for you.聽 A tourist or visit visa can only be converted to a work permit if there are at least 5-7 days of validity remaining at the time application is filed with LMRA. Now it can't even be extended as the overstay has passed all limits.

The only way to bypass that is to have a very strong PRO who goes inside immigration and explains the situation to them i.e. you weren't on a tourist visa in reality, your work permit was cancelled and you should be allowed to convert your current visa to a work visa.聽 Most agents will NOT be able to pull this off so don't even try unless your agent is 100% confident of getting this done.聽

Because immigration will have a strong argument i.e. you should have left 30 days after your work permit was cancelled so you are overstaying not only the tourist visa but the cancelled work visa as well PLUS you knew about the situation in June when turned back from the airport and now it is Sep. Not your fault I know but those are the facts.聽聽The additional risk (and why I said not to even try unless you have strong PRO) is that you may face being banned from entering Bahrain due to this huge overstay - as you would have now attracted attention to yourself and the details when you escalate this within immigration.

1 member reacted to this post

Mohammad Beg New member

5POSTS

7 years ago

Thank you for your suggestion as I am leaving on 9/10/2018 and my agent is telling for applying for visa after my exit from here and hence what will be possibility of getting work permit as you are telling possibility of banning while it is clear that what has been done not intentionally?
Thankd

XTang Bahrain/UAE/KSA Expert

11978POSTS

7 years ago

As I said, the less attention you draw to yourself, the better.聽 Because technically speaking, you are liable to be banned for overstay of both visas i.e. work and tourist.聽聽No can predict what the chances are.聽 Hope for the best.

Mohammad Beg New member

5POSTS

7 years ago

But immigration put tourist visa on my passport without acknowledging me at the causeway. Anyhow it is not my mistake but I can't blame immigration but they should also review to the situation which was created without my knowledge otherwise I could have left the place on the same day. I just came to know before one month that I am living here on expired tourist visa.

XTang Bahrain/UAE/KSA Expert

11978POSTS

7 years ago

Let's look at the facts:

1) You KNEW your work visa had issues when you tried to leave on June 15th i.e. 3 months ago.聽 You should have found out there and then why this issue was created
2) Your argument is based on your lack of knowledge and no action on your part.聽 Nothing changes the fact that you are illegally in the country
3) Immigration has no responsibility for your legal status.聽 it is you and your sponsor

All I am advising is that you ARE in the wrong and to try to get your status corrected without creating hassle or escalating.聽 If you push or argue too much, you will end up getting banned because?聽 you ARE in the wrong.

1 member reacted to this post