Visa Approved - Alhamdulillah!

My visa has been approved - alhamdulillah!

Quick recap: my initial investor visa application via the free zone company I set up in Sharjah was rejected by Sharjah Immigration for undisclosed “security reasons”!

Following advice from a few people, I took the risk of setting up a new (mainland) company in Dubai and reapplying for an investor visa through Dubai’s immigration department.

Alhamdulillah, the new business consultant I am working with managed to get everything sorted, and I received the news about the visa approval on Tuesday.

It was a bittersweet moment, if I’m honest, as there was a part of me that was secretly hoping the visa application would be rejected so I could go back to the UK to be with my family again (I miss them so much!), but Allah ﷻ knows best and I have all my faith in His perfect plan. The timing of the news was quite interesting, but I’ll write about that separately, insha-Allah.

I had my mandatory medical yesterday (blood test and an X-ray), and now need to get an appointment to have biometrics done (fingerprints, photo, iris scan) - they don’t mess around here, that’s for sure!

Once I get my “Emirates ID”, I’ll need to open a bank account, find somewhere to live (in Sharjah if I can, a challenge in and of itself - more on that later) and buy a car.

There’s also the small matter of my career pivot to an entirely new field, launching a new business, and making enough money so I can afford to bring my family over to join me, if Allah ﷻ wills, in about 15 months (or go back to the UK with no money). 😳

Crazy? Possibly.

Exciting? Definitely!

Bismillahi tawakkaltu ‘ala Allah… 🤲

P.S. I bought reading glasses and now I look like an emoji! 🤓

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