Vacationing expats told to get e-passports in Manila

Philippine consulate in Dubai is trying to beat the October 15, 2015, deadline of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for all countries to use e-passports for travel. 

Filipino expatriates are being urged to secure an electronic passport in Manila to reduce the huge number of passport applications at the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Dubai. The consulate is trying to beat the October 15, 2015, deadline of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for all countries to use e-passports for travel.

The daily turnout of applicants at the PCG is pegged at 250, but only 230 are made available for online system appointments, while the remaining 20 are reserved for children and pregnant women.

Consul Giovanni E. Palec said at this rate of turnout, it is “difficult” for the PCG to accommodate all applicants for e-passports in Dubai and the Northern Emirates — which is estimated to be around two-thirds of the 525,000 Filipinos in the UAE — before the ICAO deadline. “We tried to maximise the number to 300 before but three of our encoding machines bogged down. So we reduced the number to 250 daily.”

He advised applicants who are unable to keep their appointment date to cancel them ahead of time, so that urgent applications can be accommodated.

“When we put up an online appointment system, applicants can choose the dates convenient for them. But we have noticed that some of them fail to come for their appointments. Many have come as walk-in applicants, but we cannot accommodate them unless we see cancellations online. So, we encourage those who cannot come on their appointed day to cancel it so others can be accommodated,” Palec said.

Consul Palec also revealed that lately only half of the 4,000 e-passports have reached Dubai, which means that there is an ongoing backlog in the delivery of e-passports from Manila to Dubai.

“We were told by Manila that only four to five machines are working in the Department of Foreign Affairs for passport processing because several machines have bogged down.”

He said that those who have already applied should check the consulate website, www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph, from time to time. “We destroy passports which have not been claimed for six months from the date of issue.”

He advised all Filipino residents in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to make sure they are no longer using the 2010 green passports.

Palec admitted that the number of Filipinos in Dubai is growing fast especially after Dubai won its bid to host the World Expo 2020. “Lots of Filipinos anticipate burgeoning jobs while Dubai is preparing for 2020. So, they come in hordes,” he said.

lily@khaleejtimes.com

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http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/community/2014/August/community_August10.xml&section=community

EXPATS IN FOR A WAITING GAME

By Vinod Nair -

MUSCAT — The expatriate working and business community in Oman is going through some anxious
moments following a slew of new measures, including the two-year visa ban rule, implemented by the Ministry of Manpower and the Royal Oman Police (ROP).
Authorities, though, claimed that these new rules were initiated to regulate the number of expatriates in Oman and reorganise the workforce in tune with the needs of local trade and industry.
The new visa rule, which was announced in May this year and came into force from July 1, states any foreign worker who wants to switch jobs within Oman must have the consent of the previous employer.
According to officials from the ROP, the need to furnish an NOC from the previous employer will help understand the kind of relationship that a new recruit had with his old management. But the people Observer spoke to were not too excited about sharing details about their job options with the employers.
Ismail from Sudan, who is a translator at a law firm, said that he will now look for more options in other GCC countries. “It is unthinkable that my firm will let me join a competitor. Even if they agree to raise my salary, I would still prefer a change after a few years.”
Girish Chandra, an expat employee, said, “I have a cordial relationship of 17 years with my employers. I see no reason for them to stop me in case I seek to change a job for better prospects. But the bone of contention is that I don’t want to share details about my new job with them, especially in the initial stages.”
Kishore who has been working with a travel agency for almost a decade was planning to look for new job options following the end of his two-year contract later this year. “No I have to rework my plans because I doubt whether my employer will furnish me with a no-objection certificate or not. Also, if they do agree to provide one, I am not sure what type of conditions they will put forward.”
P Chandrashekar, group general manager, Jawad Sultan Group, said, “The mobility/transfer of employment that was freely available to the expatriate staff is now restricted due to the introduction of new visa rules. However, it is too early to assess its impact since these are early days. But, demotivation can set in where the employee, not happy with the current job finds it difficult to move and take up a new assignment.”
Expatriate businessmen, especially those involved in shipping and logistics services, are going through a phase of transition with the relocation of commercial services to Sohar from Muscat.
Joy has been running a shipping and logistics services business from Muscat. He said that with the port operations shifting to Sohar, I have to rearrange my strategies because my business was well-established in the capital.
“I am now forced to travel to Sohar at least once a week because the core activity has shifted there. “Also there are a few teething problems, which make me shuttle often between the two cities with a distance of around almost 200 km and more.”
Ashraf who runs a cargo operation said that running business during this period of transition from Muscat to Sohar is very difficult. “Do not forget that we have to pay minimum wages as mandated by the government, which is also difficult with business travelling in the south bound direction.” But he said that, as of now, there are no plans for some extreme measures. We are hopeful that things will look better in the months to come.”
Generally, certain indicators point towards how things will unfold in the months to come and in Muscat it is usually the rush for school leaving certificates or admissions.
Sridevi Thashnath, Principal, Indian School Darsait, said, “I went through the details of the TC cases and did not find any unusual withdrawals. It’s almost the same pattern, but have noticed that there is a huge demand for admissions, which we are not able to meet due to limited availability. It’s indeed a concern for the expat families for which some solutions should be worked out.”
G D C Rao, administration manager at Indian School Ghubra, echoed the same opinion. “There is nothing abnormal and unusual as far as school withdrawals are concerned this academic year,” he said. Other schools also claimed no unusual trends in student withdrawals this year.
Automobile sales executives, who requested not to be named, admitted that there has been a slowdown in sales right through the Ramadhan and Eid seasons. “As we have a wait and watch policy, we expect sales to pick up with the launch of 2015 models by almost all brands in the coming months.”
Advertisements for sale of used cars at throwaway prices have seen a spurt on social media platforms, but again it is difficult to come to a conclusion.
As classified advertisements through social media is just picking up in Muscat, we are seeing more such ads of old and used items online. “Earlier, such advertisements were restricted to popular newspapers, but now that has changed and more free platforms are available,” said Sunil, an auto sales executive.

http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=103303

Saudi women married to expats eligible for housing support

While Saudi women want to be treated on par with men in getting housing support, the executive list to organize housing support published on the ministry’s website clarifies doubts in their mind.
It reveals the existence of four cases where Saudi women are eligible for housing support from the Ministry of Housing. Saudi women married to foreigners who have children can benefit from housing support.
The housing crisis in Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest problems with more than 70 percent of citizens suffering from lack of private residence.
The executive list to support housing support clarified that Saudi women can get housing support from the ministry if they take care of a family that is made up of a Saudi citizen with a special need or a foreigner, in addition to a child or more. The children should not be more than 25 years old, and the woman should be the sole provider for the family.
The second case involves divorced Saudi women who support their children under 25 years, and unmarried girls. The third case includes widows who support children under 25 years old, and the fourth case is of single orphan girls with non-Saudi mothers, with the mother as the only provider for the girl.
The Ministry of Housing said in a press statement that it is committed to the time limit it defined before to distribute housing support for beneficiaries and provide suitable housing for those who don’t own an accommodation.
It pointed out that housing projects will be distributed according to a mechanism that guarantees justice and transparency for those who meet the rules of housing support.
Work is continuing for the implementation of 60 projects to complete 60,000 housing units. The ministry received 11 projects and work is under way on 95 projects.
The ministry made it clear that families benefiting from social insurance who receive monthly aid from the Ministry of Social Affairs will not be given residence under the Iskan program.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/617026

The great pensions divide... How expats receive up to FOUR TIMES less, despite paying in the same

British expatriates whose state pension is frozen at the rate they started to draw the money are being urged to have it uprated every time they make a return visit to the UK.

More than a million pensioners have retired abroad but more than half have seen their incomes shrink over time because the level of pension is frozen on the date they take their first payment.

While those moving to European countries or the US enjoy the same annual cost of living increases as pensioners over here, people heading to popular retirement destinations such as Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand see the real value of their pensions dwindle each year.

Sheila Telford, chair of the action group International Consortium of British Pensioners, says: ‘People work all their lives and make their contributions so they should be entitled to see their pensions increase after they retire either back to the country they came from or to live near relatives who have emigrated.’

As a protest against the rules, she suggests expats apply to have their pension uprated whenever they return to the UK for a holiday. She says: ‘I live in Canada and although the uprating only covers the time you are in the UK, I do it when I come home just for the nuisance value.’

However, the pension amount paid will revert to the frozen value when they go back home. 
About 550,000 British expatriate pensioners are scattered among 120 countries – the majority living in Commonwealth countries where the UK state pension is not increased annually.

European Union obligations mean the Government must up rate pensions for expatriates living in European area countries. 

For those in other countries, such as the US, there are longstanding bilateral agreements where the UK has a legal arrangement to increase payments because that country does the equivalent for its expatriates.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman says: ‘This has always been the case and people who are considering emigrating abroad should always consider the impact the move could have on their future state pension entitlement.’

The cost of boosting these pensions – estimated at £590 million a year – means successive governments have resisted demands for them to be brought in line with those at home.

Ninety-year-old Elsie Owens from Denton, Manchester, retired from the Greater Manchester Police in 1986 aged 62. Elsie, who lives with her son Philip, 65, receives her full entitlement of £113.10 a week – and this has risen every year since she started drawing it 28 years ago.

Not so for her older sister Enid Brown, 94, who emigrated 4,000 miles away to Calgary, Canada, in 1982. Her pension is frozen at just £29.60 a week – a quarter of the value of her sister’s payment.

Many expatriates, like Enid, are unaware that when they leave the UK they will receive less than others, even though they made equivalent National Insurance contributions. 

She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The Government is mean in its treatment of pensioners and I was never told that my pension would be frozen. If I had retired just a few miles over the border to the US I would have had my full state pension for the past 30 years.

‘I can’t live without dipping into my savings and I spend my time watching what food I buy. There are only ever the basics, never any luxuries. I have contributed to Britain financially my whole life including during the war and I don’t think it’s fair we get so little in return.’

Elsie agrees: ‘If you go to Spain your pension follows you, but if you retire somewhere like Canada in the Commonwealth it doesn’t. I thought the point of Commonwealth countries was that they are meant to help each other.’

To find out about uprating your state pension – or that of a friend or relative – during a visit to the UK call The Pensions Service on 0191 218 7777.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-2726619/The-great-pensions-divide-How-expats-receive-FOUR-TIMES-despite-paying-same.html#ixzz3AgBvHENV
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Mumbai through an expat's eyes

Most of them are from First World countries, where the streets are clean and pothole-free, where people abide by rules and there is no dearth of creature comforts. For expats, you'd think that Mumbai, with all its chaos, its cramped houses and dirty streets, would be more of a nightmare than a home. Yet, despite its countless drawbacks, the cosmopolitan city continues to attract lakhs of migrants every year, of which the expat community forms a considerable chunk. Each has his/her own story, vision and interpretation of life in Mumbai. A peek at the city through their eyes:
Name: Danielle F.
Job: Deputy manager at a multi-national corporation
Nationality: American
In Mumbai since: July 2013
What I like about Mumbai
People are incredibly hospitable. When I ask random women for directions they always stop to help me. It is very possible to have a comfortable life here and without much money. You can hire help for almost anything, which can be quite a luxury, though it can come with some disadvantages as well.
What I don't like
Taxi/auto drivers don't want to take you where you want to go. Its difficult to watch beggar children and maimed beggars on the streets. They are just as human as I am and they haven't been dealt a great deck of cards. However, I still choose not to give them money as this usually goes towards a racket rather than helping them. Repairmen come at their own sweet time. Dealing with banks is complicated. For example, why can't I just change my email address online instead of having someone from the bank come to me have me sign something?
Name: Martin Wright
Job: Director with a non-profit advisory based in Colaba
Nationality: British
In Mumbai since: October 2013
What I like
I like the friendliness of the city, everyone is quite easy-going and open-minded. Despite it being so overcrowded, I like the way people here manage to find their way on roads, stations and other public places. I have never witnessed any road rage and I am saying so because I ride a bicycle around the city. Even though people drive all over they are still in control, there is no aggression. In London I see much more pent up aggression in people while on the road. I also enjoy the tourist attractions. People love waving at me and I don't mind being amusing to them.
What I don't like
It's a very noisy city. Taxi drivers are incapable of driving without burping horns every few minutes. Once I was going to the airport through Peddar road at 4 am. There was no traffic on the road, yet the driver was honking right under a no honking sign. I feel sorry when I pass through such wonderful old buildings in south Mumbai which are lying in utter neglect. I wish something is done to restore them. I also feel it's a shame that Mumbai has such a huge water front but most of it is not maintained. The city does not have enough gardens and open spaces.
Name: Heather Gupta
Job: Chief talent officer at the 120 Media Collective and author of 'Becoming Mrs Kumar' — A work of fiction inspired from her experience of being married to an Indian and living in Mumbai.
Nationality: British
In Mumbai since: October 2003
What I like
I moved to Mumbai just in time for Diwali which was an exciting, loud, and thoroughly energising time to arrive. I initially came here after being offered a job by a large advertising agency, and immediately felt a very strong connection with the city. There is something about its energy which is very appealing. It is fast paced, exhilarating and there's a real sense that 'anything is possible', which I love.
I never intended to stay here for so long, its been almost 11 years since I first arrived here, but a combination of factors kept me here. People are incredibly warm and hospitable, and I found myself constantly being invited to social gatherings. Life here as a single girl was a lot of fun. I met my husband Vivek in 2007 and we decided to get married a year later, so that was another good reason to stay in Mumbai!
What I don't like
When something as simple as the air conditioner in my house needed fixing, I would often struggle to find someone who could do it, explain to them what I needed, and arrange a time for them to come. When I opened my first Indian bank account, I pulled my hair out trying to submit all the necessary documents required to undertake what seemed like a very straightforward process. Trying to ensure I paid people fairly was also a challenge, I often got vastly overcharged for things at the beginning. Taxi drivers would double their fares, I'd get charged extra by the vegetable wallah etc, even the police would hike up their fines when they saw me in the car. It was really difficult to know whether I should accept it as part and parcel of being a foreigner, or fight for what was fair, i.e. the same treatment as the locals.
I do wish I could make it a cleaner place, the pollution really gets to me and the state of the beaches and the filthy ocean are really depressing. But one day, maybe that will all change. I absolutely love living in Mumbai, but I do think, as an expat, that it is important to take a break from the city every couple of months or so, whether its a short trip to Goa, or a longer trip back to the UK, it is critical to get a breather and a perspective on the city which literally never sleeps.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-through-an-expat-s-eyes-2011286

Having a baby as an expat can be expensive

Maternity cover can add hundreds of pounds to the price of an international medical insurance plan for those planning a family. Peter Pallot asesses the options

Having a baby as an expat can be expensive
Maternity cover can add hundreds of pounds to the price of an international medical insurance plan for those planning a family. Peter Pallot asesses the options
Hoping for a baby and planning a life abroad? The obvious answer for a new expat is to “tag on” maternity cover when she buys medical insurance.
It’s also obvious to insurers that you’re not buying an extra benefit for fun. If you buy you’ll probably claim. Insurers reduce their exposure by imposing a moratorium – usually 10 months – so that claims are only valid after this period has passed.
But maternity cover is still expensive, with much depending on where the expat is based. This reflects local charges for maternity care. For routine deliveries, these are around US$4,000 in the Middle East and $15,000 in America.
Rather than hit would-be mothers with a big additional fee for maternity cover, many insurers roll it into the “core” of their top-range plans and exclude it altogether on their basic and mid-range plans.
You could define that approach as slick marketing as some buyers will be forced into taking high overall cover. Or you could view it as a perk for mothers, as the added risk is spread across all policyholders, including men.
Insurance adviser Stephen Walker commented: “Most providers make you take a higher level of cover if you want maternity benefit, and spread the risk – it’s how the actuaries cover off the added liability.”
Axa PPP’s Comprehensive plan does not include maternity cover. A 30-year-old in the Middle East with Comprehensive would pay £1,385 a year. If she wanted maternity benefit she would have to switch to Axa’s top plan, Prestige, costing an extra £671.
Insurer IMG is an exception. It makes maternity cover a specific add-on.
The 30-year-old woman in the Middle East buying IMG Fusion with a small excess and without the add-on would pay only £841 a year. Mr Walker describes the plan as a “competitive choice offering a good all-round comprehensive cover.”
But maternity cover costs £2,200 a year on top, multiplying the overall premium for Prestige two-and-a-half times.
Maternity services have so much improved that the health of the mother is less likely to be a cause for concern than that of the baby. If long-term complications arise, either in mother or child, a plan with good chronic disease cover provides some relief.
Mr Walker, of Medical Insurance Services in Brighton, said: “Most insurers will cover the child as long as it is registered within a certain time, usually 30 days.
“If the plan includes chronic disease cover, which is much more common with international insurance, you get the long-term care within the limits of the plan.”
Would-be mothers might have the EU gender directive to thank for not being penalised when they buy cover incorporating maternity benefit. The directive may have influenced some health insurers – motor insurers were certainly affected – but the general rule on the health side is to treat the two sexes equally. They pay the same premiums, even though women claim more, especially younger age groups.
As an example, Now Health, headquartered in Hong Kong, and mainly active in Asia, is gender neutral. Its Apex plan imposes a year’s wait period from the date of cover purchase to the commencement of the pregnancy before maternity benefit kicks in.
However such measures are less necessary when numbers are involved, according to Mark Dickinson, underwriting director of the insurer. He said: “For group business where the employer buys medical insurance coverage for its staff, the waiting period can be removed.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/before-you-go/11032603/Having-a-baby-as-an-expat-can-be-expensive.html

Lankan expat jailed for drug dealing

A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a Sri Lankan expatriate to three years in jail and fined him QR 200,000 for dealing in drugs, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday.

The man would be deported on completing his sentence. He was caughtle trying to sell marijuana to an undercover police agent. The Drug Prevention Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) had received a tip-off about suspicious behavior by the accused.

An undercover agent asked him for the drugs and the accused told him that he would give him the marijuana for QR2,200 at a certain location. Eventually, the undercover policeman met the accused at the agreed location and the accused handed him a package containing the drug while the policeman handed him the money. All this took place while police personnel watched from a distance.

The accused was then arrested at which point he tried to throw the money on the ground but policemen caught him and searched his accommodation. They found about 1,583gm of marijuana, as later confirmed by the forensic evidence laboratory, and some scattered pieces of magazine papers used for folding, besides a scale believed to be used to weigh the drugs.

However, the accused denied all charges and pleaded innocence during investigation by the Public Prosecution.  Ultimately, the court found him guilty and convicted him based on the testimony of the policemen and the quantity of illicit drugs found at his residence.

http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/404447/lankan-expat-jailed-for-drug-dealing