justwise:


So its still a dream then? Do you know what? The sooner me and you start telling ourselves some hard truth the better for us. Who are you preaching about Nigeria situation? In the last 20yrs tell me a single sector in Nigeria that has being doing very well. You talked about first class treatment as Nigerian citizen...where? Where in Nigeria do you enjoy that?

You misunderstand me Sir.

I'm not saying we have an ideal situation in Nigeria... far from that. What I'm saying is that here, we can express ourselves fully, without fear of being thrown in jail or killed as is the case in some countries. That's why some people can go on air and make some treasonous and libelous statements and still be free. This Freedom of expression is a great asset which many people do not appreciate till it's taken away from them.

Gooci:

y wont i av somthing to offer, am actually going for driving

Have you checked the cost of obtaining a driver's licence. Nigerian licence I think is not transferable in that region, so you will have to apply for a fresh one there. Also, the type of visa you are issued will determine if you are eligible for a licence or not.
Just do your homework well, ask questions to your contacts there. I'm not discouraging you o, just make sure that you are well prepared.

Goodluck!

byworld:
another gr8 write up from you. Just wondering wat business you can invest #500k into, I mean in Nigeria of today, I don't see wat is bad in starting up with security guard job here in uae with only ya ssce or even non so far u can pass your DPS( Dubai police training exam) den along d way your bsc or master degree can fetch u a better offer. More over u can start up a business in nigeria from Dubai if u av a trustworthy member in ya family. So to my own opinion for dos shouting here dat de prefer to stay in nigeria #500k, a security guard in Dubai dat also establish a business down in nigeria is far better than u in many ways

yur so right bro.

Adiwana:
Op,i for don say you be bad belle..haahahah
on a more serious note,my couz lives there&works at one of the air ways.her bro just recently started work there this yr..even my frnds big bro trades there..i think that place has works for most people esp those frm other ountries.by Gods Grace wen am tru,na there i go dey luk up 2..buh my p with them is that your spouse cant join you there

who told u dat ya spouse can't join u? So far you get job of 5500dirams or 6000, you are entitle to bring in ya spouse in and will be on ya resident permit, all you need to do is to provide ya marriage certificate and make sure ya job is safe!!!

seunoni34:

And how many of them are having a good life over there?

and whats your own definition of good life? insecurity? no constant electricity? dirty environment? poor medical facility? poor education system?
see, i rather be a poor man in Sweden than be a millionaire in Nigeria. atleast i will have a peace mind, and give my children quality education.

Myluv1:

Have you checked the cost of obtaining a driver's licence. Nigerian licence I think is not transferable in that region, so you will have to apply for a fresh one there. Also, the type of visa you are issued will determine if you are eligible for a licence or not.
Just do your homework well, ask questions to your contacts there. I'm not discouraging you o, just make sure that you are well prepared.

Goodluck!

i have someone that got to dubai last month with a 3yrs visa, he has done interview nd exam with the company. he jst obtained his emirate card last week nd jst today he paid 2600dhms @ driving school. actually when he told me of the 2600dhms ds morning, i swear fear catch me , bt he's still operating under his BAT for now. Cuz i cant jst tell my people about any huge money outside processing nd BAT for now

Am even almost thru with OSHA nd m planning to do NEBOSH after i myt av worked for awhile in dubai. tho driving is the nmain thing for now, i jst wan prepare myself for anything.

pls do you kno how emirate card is different from labour card

TheRainmaker1:


You misunderstand me Sir.

I'm not saying we have an ideal situation in Nigeria... far from that. What I'm saying is that here, we can express ourselves fully, without fear of being thrown in jail or killed as is the case in some countries. That's why some people can go on air and make some treasonous and libelous statements and still be free. This Freedom of expression is a great asset which many people do not appreciate till it's taken away from them.

Are we still talking about Nigeria here? We enjoy freedom of speech in Nigeria? Can i have you travel to any state in the north to condemn or protest against Boko Haram? Can you walk in to your local govt with placard to protest about corruption?

SkinnyDude:

and whats your own definition of good life? insecurity? no constant electricity? dirty environment? poor medical facility? poor education system?
see, i rather be a poor man in Sweden than be a millionaire in Nigeria. atleast i will have a peace mind, and give my children quality education.

no bros, no condemn yur country.... Even if you have all d money outside, yu are still coming back home.

byworld:
who told u dat ya spouse can't join u? So far you get job of 5500dirams or 6000, you are entitle to bring in ya spouse in and will be on ya resident permit, all you need to do is to provide ya marriage certificate and make sure ya job is safe!!!

Have pm you, kindly check your mail sir, we need to talk

byworld:
who told u dat ya spouse can't join u? So far you get job of 5500dirams or 6000, you are entitle to bring in ya spouse in and will be on ya resident permit, all you need to do is to provide ya marriage certificate and make sure ya job is safe!!!

my couz got her job in arund 2010 but gt married in 2009&2day her husband hasnt joined her..has done everytn humanly possible.and i said she works in an airline so presumably,her job is safe

Myluv1:

Have you checked the cost of obtaining a driver's licence. Nigerian licence I think is not transferable in that region, so you will have to apply for a fresh one there. Also, the type of visa you are issued will determine if you are eligible for a licence or not.
Just do your homework well, ask questions to your contacts there. I'm not discouraging you o, just make sure that you are well prepared.

Goodluck!

will be going with an employment visa though

Nice write up

But this piece would have come up like this time last year...it Wld have made a big difference.

Thanks anyway.

Information is power

justwise:


Are we still talking about Nigeria here? We enjoy freedom of speech in Nigeria? Can i have you travel to any state in the north to condemn or protest against Boko Haram? Can you walk in to your local govt with placard to protest about corruption?

Chai!!! Lobatan you have silent him already, anyway if u like use jesus beg muhammed I go comot dis country,@ u get mouth jare

bayocanny:

Chai!!! Lobatan you have silent him already, anyway if u like use jesus beg muhammed I go comot dis country,@ u get mouth jare

@bayo, yu don vex oo

byworld:
who told u dat ya spouse can't join u? So far you get job of 5500dirams or 6000, you are entitle to bring in ya spouse in and will be on ya resident permit, all you need to do is to provide ya marriage certificate and make sure ya job is safe!!!

but gein a 6000aed job myt take long o.. we wan marry early nkor

Hey guys, just to help put things in perspective. The fact is that things are not as rosy as it sounds in the article.
I can confidently tell you that there are more Nigerians/ Africans suffering here than there are comfortable ones.

Doing menial jobs here will only frustrate the life out of you as the labour laws are not as advanced and as protective as the western world.

Also the cost of living here is a lot higher than Nigeria so if you don't earn a very good salary you will be barely surviving talk less of having anything to send back home. So though the salary might sound much to you when you convert it to Naira but here is is really nothing.

Finally companies here especially the local ones exploit workers so when they promise you housing and all sorts you never really get the picture. Most Nigerians here doing those menial jobs live 3 to 5 in a room ( bedspace) if not more. When you earn a salary of about 1000dhs i.e. 50,000 which is what most security guards, cleaners etc earn, you can hardly afford a life.

Like the OP rightly pointed out, it's very hard to rise above that level cos any job you try to get next will rate you based on your previous employment profile which is logical.

The truth is, most Nigerians that promise people jobs here don't tell them the truth. They just tell them about jobs with housing, free air tickets annually and free transportation. But they don't tell about the deplorable state they will be living, the meager salary they will be earning and the way they will be exploited after working their heads out. I have met engineers and bankers who resigned their jobs to come here because someone has offered to help them get a job here only to find out its menial job they are employed to do.

Few facts to help you make the right decision
1. What kind of company will employ you without a proper interview? Any job you get without a proper interview will be that of a labourer. Even if you are a banker in Nigeria. As is the case in any country in the world, any credible professional job you are getting will start with a phone interview followed by a face to face interview.

2. If you are a professional in Nigeria already, you stand a chance of getting a good job but it will still take a little while to get the BEST so you must have enough money to go in and out of the country for visa change after your visa expires. Note that the first offer is not always the best. If you can get someone to house you before coming, then you are in the best position to settle down and get the best cos housing will eat the larger chunk of your money.

3. What you need to get the best jobs here (Dubai) and is same anywhere in the world including Nigeria. Which is your degree, experience and professional certifications. With this you are good to go.

4. If you are offered a job here, negotiate for your medical allowance. Though this comes with all professional jobs as it is in the labour law, but most companies don't extend it to labourers. Health care here is extremely expensive but world class. Other allowances you can get are education allowance for your kids, transport allowance and travel allowance etc

5. If you want the best jobs, apply to multinationals and not local companies..same principle applies in Nigeria.

6. You will be excluded from many priviledges if you earn less than Dhs 7000 (#350,000).Like low interest loans, ability to sponsor your family members on visit visa's or residence visa for your spouse if you are married etc. Even when renting a house they will ask for your salary certificate.
So if you are a professional coming to work here, bargain well.

7. You will be sponsored by your employer for residence visa (3years visa usually) of which Qatar is worst where you get 5years. So if you get on the wrong job like a menial job 3 to 5years of your life might just be on standstill roaming around in circles with no meaningful progress. If you try to leave these companies before the employment period is over you will be banned from the country for 6months.
But a point to note is that in Dubai, there are 2 types if work visas. The Labour visa and the freezone visa. If you are on the free zone visa then you can change
Your job without any issues. But change of job is generally not so easy for labourers.

Note: I have been living here and working for over 4 years in the Oil and Gas industry as an Engineer so I have seen all sorts of people in different precarious situations. And what most of them say is "they never told me it will be like this".

Concerning lifestyle here...sure it is wonderful and fun but you need to have the money to enjoy it or else you will be worse off than remaining in Nigeria.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks

TheRainmaker1:


You're right Sir!...but you're also one of the lucky ones.How many of your contemporaries can boast of same?

I have nothing against traveling 'abroad' (USA, Canada, Europe, Arab countries...anywhere) if you have a clear-cut course of action and marketable skills.

where I have a problem is when People want to travel out simply for the purpose of traveling out or in search of some fictitious greener pastures, without doing their home work properly.

in any country you want to travel to, just make sure you take all d ryt step ma brother. Take Dubai for instance of you want to come in for job, you don't need to come in with a tourist visa in d first place because you are still going to exit out of the country when you got a job offer for the company to apply for you employment visa, so you can come in on a direct employment visa which is d best cuz it also means 2yrs direct resident visa on either u wanna com in for cleaner, security guard, plumber, concrete mansion, tilers, carpentry, helper nd so on.....but it's better to com in for security guard if u can read nd write cuz u will be issue a foreign certificate for security personnel

justwise:


Are we still talking about Nigeria here? We enjoy freedom of speech in Nigeria? Can i have you travel to any state in the north to condemn or protest against Boko Haram? Can you walk in to your local govt with placard to protest about corruption?

Yes Sir, I can "walk into my Local Government Secretariat with placards protesting about corruption" if I wish, and nothing will happen.

I may not be able to go to the North to condemn boko haram, because I have no business there, but if i wish, I can d it from here, and people will get the message there...its the digital age.

People have been condemning boko haram for years, and they're still alive.
Do you remember "Occupy Nigeria"? How about "Bring back our girls'? Those are things you may not be able to do safely in some other countries.

Gooci:
currently working my way to dubai too... i jst pray fro blessing of baba God. make evrything goes as planned

it will better if you can come directly on an employment visa, just a piece of advice.

onatisi:
stop misleading ppl,how many nigerian are lucky to get those jobs compared to those who eventually end up as cargo boys on caliwali visa? The ratio of nigerians who are lucky like u isn't up to 10%what about the remaining 90 or even 80% .my brother was one of the lucky few and that was even becos he went to dubai early in 1997,before the influx of indians and the rest.

its just because they didn't av a better plan nd am not misleading anyone here like I said to oda guy, if they av come in with direct employment visa which is 2 yrs residence permit, why we they end up doing cargo jobs please? I need a reply from u

udyheart01:

Desist From Saying Such!

Nigeria is still the best country to make it if only we dig our heels in.

Gooci:
nd pls, can anybody xplain to me what an emirate card is? difference btw emirate card and labour card

labor card simply means your work permit why emirate I'd card is your residence permit

byworld:
it will better if you can come directly on an employment visa, just a piece of advice.

yeah bro.. coming on an emplymnt visa. what do you kno about dubai taxi(dubai transport authority)??

To me, Nigerians are running out of naija due to bad life in naija. If Naija was safe, believe me many people living abroad will return home. Do you think they dont. Know how fertile naija is?

byworld:
labor card simply means your work permit why emirate I'd card is your residence permit

so i need to have the 2cards to be able to work and settle in d con3.. jst guessing

Gooci:


will be going with an employment visa though

Ok, but not all types of work visa will make you eligible. Ask your contacts though and be sure.

ohumonkama:
Hey guys, just to help put things in perspective. The fact is that things are not as rosy as it sounds in the article.
I can confidently tell you that there are more Nigerians/ Africans suffering here than there are comfortable ones.

Doing menial jobs here will only frustrate the life out of you as the labour laws are not as advanced and as protective as the western world.

Also the cost of living here is a lot higher than Nigeria so if you don't earn a very good salary you will be barely surviving talk less of having anything to send back home. So though the salary might sound much to you when you convert it to Naira but here is is really nothing.

Finally companies here especially the local ones exploit workers so when they promise you housing and all sorts you never really get the picture. Most Nigerians here doing those menial jobs live 3 to 5 in a room ( bedspace) if not more. When you earn a salary of about 1000dhs i.e. 50,000 which is what most security guards, cleaners etc earn, you can hardly afford a life.

Like the OP rightly pointed out, it's very hard to rise above that level cos any job you try to get next will rate you based on your previous employment profile which is logical.

The truth is, most Nigerians that promise people jobs here don't tell them the truth. They just tell them about jobs with housing, free air tickets annually and free transportation. But they don't tell about the deplorable state they will be living, the meager salary they will be earning and the way they will be exploited after working their heads out. I have met engineers and bankers who resigned their jobs to come here because someone has offered to help them get a job here only to find out its menial job they are employed to do.

Few facts to help you make the right decision
1. What kind of company will employ you without a proper interview? Any job you get without a proper interview will be that of a labourer. Even if you are a banker in Nigeria. As is the case in any country in the world, any credible professional job you are getting will start with a phone interview followed by a face to face interview.

2. If you are a professional in Nigeria already, you stand a chance of getting a good job but it will still take a little while to get the BEST so you must have enough money to go in and out of the country for visa change after your visa expires. Note that the first offer is not always the best. If you can get someone to house you before coming, then you are in the best position to settle down and get the best cos housing will eat the larger chunk of your money.

3. What you need to get the best jobs here (Dubai) and is same anywhere in the world including Nigeria. Which is your degree, experience and professional certifications. With this you are good to go.

4. If you are offered a job here, negotiate for your medical allowance. Though this comes with all professional jobs as it is in the labour law, but most companies don't extend it to labourers. Health care here is extremely expensive but world class. Other allowances you can get are education allowance for your kids, transport allowance and travel allowance etc

5. If you want the best jobs, apply to multinationals and not local companies..same principle applies in Nigeria.

6. You will be excluded from many priviledges if you earn less than Dhs 7000 (#350,000).Like low interest loans, ability to sponsor your family members on visit visa's or residence visa for your spouse if you are married etc. Even when renting a house they will ask for your salary certificate.
So if you are a professional coming to work here, bargain well.

7. You will be sponsored by your employer for residence visa (3years visa usually) of which Qatar is worst where you get 5years. So if you get on the wrong job like a menial job 3 to 5years of your life might just be on standstill roaming around in circles with no meaningful progress. If you try to leave these companies before the employment period is over you will be banned from the country for 6months.
But a point to note is that in Dubai, there are 2 types if work visas. The Labour visa and the freezone visa. If you are on the free zone visa then you can change
Your job without any issues. But change of job is generally not so easy for labourers.

Note: I have been living here and working for over 4 years in the Oil and Gas industry as an Engineer so I have seen all sorts of people in different precarious situations. And what most of them say is "they never told me it will be like this".

Concerning lifestyle here...sure it is wonderful and fun but you need to have the money to enjoy it or else you will be worse off than remaining in Nigeria.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks

This is what I've been trying to say all these while.


Thanks Sir

I hope all these guys desperate to travel 'abroad' get to read this first, and plan accordingly.

TheRainmaker1:


Yes Sir, I can "walk into my Local Government Secretariat with placards protesting about corruption" if I wish, and nothing will happen.

I may not be able to go to the North to condemn boko haram, because I have no business there, but if i wish, I can d it from here, and people will get the message there...its the digital age.

People have been condemning boko haram for years, and they're still alive.
Do you remember "Occupy Nigeria"? How about "Bring back our girls'? Those are things you may not be able to do safely in some other countries.

Bros you are living in denial, Occupy Nigeria and Bring back our girls achieved what exactly? Can you tell me?

Anybody can write junk online hiding behind device but what difference does it make in Nigeria? Nothing, millions are still poor and unemployed, no decent hospital, road, water, quality education or security...its a lawless society. Let see how many that will be killed as general election selection approaches

Myluv1:

Ok, but not all types of work visa will make you eligible. Ask your contacts though and be sure.

pls xplain to me. bt i will be working with dubai transport authority, so the emplmnt visa dey will issue me shld make me eligible for the license. And i av som1 going thru the process currently, so far, no false alarm. seem he stays in Abu mail or na Abu mall, the guy he's staying with is a taxi man, so no problem of accommodation

bayocanny:

Have pm you, kindly check your mail sir, we need to talk

ok bro, we can talk on ma messenger(harrysnut2324)

byworld:
its just because they didn't av a better plan nd am not misleading anyone here like I said to oda guy, if they av come in with direct employment visa which is 2 yrs residence permit, why we they end up doing cargo jobs please? I need a reply from u

and how easy is it for them to get a 2 year residence permit from nigeria ?u know it is almost impossible . What must have happened in ur case is ,maybe u have someone in dubai who has links good enough to secure u that job. Back to ur question,they ended up as cargo boys when they couldn't secure any salary job and their 1 or 2 months visa most often got expired. The uae employment market is now filled with qualified people with good experience from india and all other countries.if one is to compete and secure a good job as urs that person needs good qualification plus experience and 2 years residence permit. That is what the 2 engineer guys on this thread in qatar are saying. I know many fraudsters that went to dubai in 1999 and the first thing they did was to pay the fee for 2 years visa which I think was around 2k dollars or around that then. But tell me how many of these hustlers can pay 500k naira for visa only today.

Gooci:


i have someone that got to dubai last month with a 3month visa, he has done interview nd exam with the company. he jst obtained his emirate card last week nd jst today he paid 2600dhms @ driving school. actually when he told me of the 2600dhms ds morning, i swear fear catch me , bt he's still operating under his BAT for now. Cuz i cant jst tell my people about any huge money outside processing nd BAT for now

Am even almost thru with OSHA nd m planning to do NEBOSH after i myt av worked for awhile in dubai. tho driving is the nmain thing for now, i jst wan prepare myself for anything.

pls do you kno how emirate card is different from labour card

Your folk's 3months visa will definitely give way for a new work visa which in this case grants him eligibility for a licence. There are job positions which will not qualify you for driving. The type job on your work visa determines that. Hope you understand now..

I'm thinking emirate card replaced that of labour since last year... I don't live in the UAE now though