Introduction
Everyone makes mistakes, but when applying for an Egyptian work or residence permit it’s important to realise these mistakes as soon as possible to ensure a smooth, successful, and stress-free application.
Common mistakes often include errors in personal and passport information, inadequate supporting documentation, and incorrect passport photos.
What To Do When There’s a Mistake
It’s ideal to catch all mistakes before sending off your application, but this doesn’t always happen.
If you notice a mistake in your application after submission but before processing, you can still contact the authorities. Immigration officials can also be the ones to request corrections once the application has been submitted.
Mistakes To Avoid
Incorrect or Misinformation
The first step in applying for anything is making sure that you have all the required documents and that your forms are filled out accurately.
Common documents will include a valid passport, employment contract, and proof of qualifications and/or education, all of which will need to be accurate.
If your application is done neither in English nor Arabic, then you will have to have it translated. These translations must be done accurately to ensure nothing gets lost or confused in translation.
Lack of translated texts may very well slow down the processing time of your application or halt it altogether.
Missed Deadlines
Missing your application’s deadlines can result in delays or even total rejection of your application. Sometimes acquiring certain documentation takes time, and so you need to make sure to plan your application’s timeline accordingly.
It’s also important not to miss or be late for any interviews you may have to attend, as this will reflect negatively on your character profile.
Every country also has its own turnaround times for processing, so making sure you leave ample time before your proposed date of travel, or before your visa is due to expire, is paramount to ensuring you don’t fall short during your application.
Insufficient Research
Before applying for a work permit, or a residence permit, it’s vital you have done the necessary research well in advance.
When applying for a work permit, for example, it’s incredibly important you fill in your employer’s details and information correctly on all the relevant forms.
Making Assumptions
Never assume anything, especially when official documentation is involved. Assuming that, for example, just because you’ve been given a work permit, you’re now suddenly allowed to live wherever you want, is a mistake.
You need to ensure you have all the correct information from the government and from your employer and double-check that you, as a working individual in Egypt, are allowed to stay in certain places. This goes for a residence permit as well.
Visa Refusal
Your visas and/or permits may very well be refused, which doesn’t have to be a massive stressor if it’s simply a problem of inaccurate information. That can be rectified.
If your visa is refused, thankfully there are a few options you have.
- Appeal the refusal.
- Most countries still allow for you to appeal decisions. Check with the Egyptian consulate or embassy about the appeal process.
- Reapply
- Rectify the issues that led to the refusal in the first place and reapply for the visa with stronger documents and explanations.
- Consult immigration consultants.
- Seek advice from qualified consultants and professionals before you move forward with any applications. They can help you understand the reasons for refusal and guide you through the proper channels.
- Choose an alternative visa.
- If possible, consider applying for an alternative visa type or category. You may find better luck that way.
Conclusion and Follow-Up
Following up with the relevant authorities is very important. You must ensure you’re consistently and periodically following up on the status of your application and checking in the make sure your application is being processed in the first place.
Mistakes are common during visa applications, and it’s important to remember that rules and regulations can very well change over time.
Written by Simon Carletti, PR and Creative Supervisor
