my unhuman right!
I am posting this forum to express my frustration and anger!!
how come am I not allowed to bring my father in for a two-weeks visit? yes he is old, 77 years old but he is healthy and not in need for HMC to cover up his medical needs!
I understood that westerner expats will never face this issue, that they can bring their parents regardless of the age. my Australian friend had no issues at all with her 80 years old mum!
But I, an Arab expat, am deprived to see my parents just because they are over 60!
I told the officer that I can provide medical insurance, bank statement, a form I sign stating thatI will be responsible for all his financial needs during his state of Qatar and that he only wants to come for 2 to 3 weeks, to see my son and spend some family time with us...
but he said no way.. he had this icy face and indifferent attitude...
of course I tried again, tried also visa through hotels... no way...
My father lives alone back home and is so lonely.. seeing him only once a year, when I go home, is just untolerable for all of us
this is a basic human right... what are we supposed to do? throw away our parents just because they are over 60 for the sake of getting a nice salary here? is this it? all I am asking is to see him on a tourist visa for a couple of weeks!!!!
Tallg:
I understand your point and I agree. Yes it is not a "legal right", yet, it is a discriminative and inhuman measure!
What I am opposing is not the right of the country to choose whom to enter its territory and whom not, it's the basis according to which it takes its decision and how discriminatory it is.
They are worried about health care? so is the whole European and westerner countries, but this is easily solved by requiring a mandatory health and life insurance during the stay of the person in Qatar and the financial commitment of the host.
The solution is not to say: Lebanese, Indian, Egyptian, Philipino elders ... are comin to Qatar as to tourists to get unethical free healthcare and misuse the system, while Australian, American, British, Greek elders ... are all wealthy enough and ethical enough not to ever do that!
mouro2be:
you're asking me to be faire and logic, what is illogic about it? I only have 1 month off per year, did you forget? so it's not like I can jump to see dad whenever I miss him! I am also limited to take my vacation only in summer...
besides, and for health care, I assure you that GCC countries are far below standard when it comes to health care if compared to Lebanon and I would be surprised if any Lebanese would come to Qatar to get treated, especially if he is already totally covered in private health care in Lebanon!
and for Wasta, thank you for your advice! I agree with you.
[mod note: DO NOT make unprovoked personal attacks on other QLers. QL is an open forum that welcomes all nationalities and religions.]
The officers at the Immigration Office at the Airport rejected the application THREE TIMES and my housemate was advised to try again after 2 months...so that would be JUNE 2009.
I already asked my Qatari sponsor (who owns a recruitment/travel agency) about this and he confirmed it. They're limit would be at age 59 for every visa they process.
But someone did offer my housemate a visa (I'm not sure if it's a tourist/visit/business type) for QAR 1,200 plus the cost of the plane tickets.
We all have to respect the rules of the country.
I know many people how they misuse many facilities here
and I know the authorities have some valid reasons to stop him.....but still they are kind enough, keep on trying probably you will succeed!!
Why Bring him, Forget it, Take him on a Two Weeks Trip to Somewhere you could go, it is hard to get a Visa for him unless you have WASTA
mouro2be - I'm not sure what you mean by "mixing papers". And my "intellectual threshold" comment was in response to MDs comment which I did not understand.
The point I've been trying to make is that bibo is wrong to assume that everyone has a "human right" to enter a country. They don't. Like it or not, that's how it is.
Bibo...
another additional advice, please do not go through WASTA, mam it is by hand of God not by hand of humans.
my advice, do not give up, try , try and try and try . i know one of my friends who did it many times untill he got visa for his mother ( 73 years old ).
be good believer and tawakal 3ala ALLAH.
Bye
Bibo,
u said " he only wants to come for 2 to 3 weeks, to see my son and spend some family time with us" .. be fair and logic plz, if this is the reason then you can visit him and let him see your son. this is not acceptable reason for sorry.
as your from Middle east, then Qatari immigration by default will suppose that you want to bring him for health needs, not like westeners, and also i per my info , ( i am sorry to say that ) ME is still has health care lackage. so GCC countries is better than the rest of ME. i think this logical analysis from point of view of Immigration bodies.
tallg.
why are you mixing papers ...?!!! , it is not intellectual threshold , it is human sense. yes it is country right but when the country is fair and do not discremenate like such way. if it is country right then it should be a rule for all not just ME coz of health care diffrence.
at least no one will come and say, look ppl here are dealt based on descrimanation basis.
Bye.
Not because of the visa regulations, but she's gonna have a physical problem in here because of the weather. Her arthritis almost got her in one of the 'cold' trips to The Holy Land tour.
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
I think restricting entry based on age is discrimination against the aged.
No, discrimination and racism are NOT the same. Let me give another explanation. Harvard discriminates in admissions on the basis of grades and test scores. They do not base admissions on race. It is possible to discriminate between groups without the discrimination being based on race.
Mandi
Broadly speaking when you are 60 you must finish work esp if you work for the gov here.
Every country has the right to say who can and cant go in.
Yep Qatar has tightened up on letting people over 60 in because too many coming to visit rellies and then going to hospital.
I think it may depend on the level of health care in the country of origin which determines if there is any leeway.
It may be harsh but its any country's right.
It is always the lost that need my guidance
LOL. It's never a good idea to argue with MD, he always replies with something that has nothing to do with the argument.
It is always the lost that need my guidance
I have no idea. I am not familiar with the work visa regulations.
No one over 60 for visit visa,, what about work visa???,, is there a age that if you come to that age you have to pack up and leave???
It is always the lost that need my guidance
^^^^ yeah, what he said ^^^^
Entering any foreign country is never a right it is a priveledge that you must request for, and that priveledge can be approved or rejected.
Does someone have the "right" to enter your home without your permission because they want to visit another person who is there?? If you don't want to let them in you won't.
So many people mistake "rights" with what they want or think is fair. Not at all the same thing.
_______________________________________________________
"A Wise Man knows what he does not know!"
Let me see if I can make a distinction between discrimination and racism. If a person who was born in India but holds a US passport wishes to come to Qatar there is no problem, he/she will get a visa on arrival. If he/she holds an Indian passport that person will have to apply for a visa and may be denied one. I fail to see how it is racism, I do agree it is discrimination on the basis of nationality.
Mandi
Pretty soon there will be a lot of people from the west who will be coming here for "free" health care. The recession is a big equalizer.
I think many countries set criteria for who can and can't enter, not just poor ones. So they are all violating human rights if you believe that that part of the UN charter applies to border control.
Logistically, it can't be a basic human right for anyone to be able to go to any country whenever they want.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "choose a positive example".
Well, you say other countries do what Qatar does, deny entry to certain groups of human beings. And you ask me this in form of a question (?). You are right, many countries violate the Human Rights. But many countries who do that are poor. Qatar is rich, Qatar "claims" to obey the human rights, yet you excuse the behavior with pointing to others who are as bad or worse. Why don't you choose a positive example instead?
Sorry, you must have exceeded my intellectual threshold cos I've no idea what you're going on about.
You may orientate yourself at the "bad" ones if you like, tallg. But other people orientate themselves on the "spirit" of the Charta no matter how many others step on it with their dirty feet. It's your choice which direction you tend to.
So all the other UN members allow anyone to enter their country, do they?
Qatar is a member of the UN, tallg, aren't they?
"Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
(Preamble)
Obviously "pledge themselves" is a chewing gum expression.
Does Qatar deny employment visas after the age of 60?
MD - so you're saying that anyone should be allowed to enter any country without question. Get real.
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
(UN Charta of the Human Rights)
Some are not equal!
Again it has to do with the laws on the books. There are 33 countries that have automatic tourist visa agreements with Qatar. They are mostly Western countries. These people do not have to apply for a visa, they can buy one at the airport. Those persons who are not citizens of these 33 countries must apply for a visa and they will be subject to being turned down because of age. If you want to raise the issue of discrimination about tourist visa rights you have to deal with a whole lotta countries that do this (including Australia and the US and UK)!
Mandi
I think you may have got the wrong person that day. My friend is bringing her mother and father out from Lebanon and they are in their 70's.
Try again.
My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.
is also special kind! Lol!!!!
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
This question is answered easily: RACISM, of the special kind, of course.
But if it's a law in general, and apparently about money and use of resources. Why do they still let aged Westerners in? When something is banned for everyone, yet they let some people in, that's called positive racism and is kind of rare. As opposed to allowing everyone in, yet stopping some.
MissX, ostensibly all expats in Qatar are here to work and those over a certain retirement age are obviously not going to do so, hence the age restriction. It is also true that the elderly population uses significantly more health care and other resources than a younger, working age group. I realize that bibo can vouch for his father's care and health coverage (although I'm not sure that Qatar has the means to collect a third-party reimbursement from another country) but the rules were not made for bibo's father but for the population in general. Bibo's dad just got caught in one of those inflexible laws. All of our countries of origin have them.
Mandi
It's because of all the hassle with the dead bodies and the sick old people. Imagine, who's gonna pay for all that.
I don't understand. Why is there even a restriction on age for visitors?
bibo - I think you're confusing the term 'human right' with something else. You do not have any 'right' to bring your father year. Perhaps it would be nice to think that human compassion would provoke the authorities to allow him to come here, but that is very different from human rights.
dmigty - I never said it was fair.
Are you serious? This would be "haram"!!
well it depends on the country you originate, if you're from UK,US, Australia, most likely you will be granted to have your elders (more than 60 yrs old) to enter Qatar. But for Asian and the like... "Sorry we cannot accept anyone older than 60" So sad.
How to Find Your One True Love????? (http://onetruelovenetwork.com/)
You have given me food for thought, bibo. Is it a basic human right to be able to move at will throughout the world regardless of national borders? Obviously the blanket answer is no, otherwise certain countries would be completely inundated and/or their security compromised. Are there special circumstances - such as family needs - that would mandate an exception? Let me think on that and get back to you. Again, I'd have to think in the aggregate here, not just your poor father's case. Wishing you and him well.
Mandi
i would go for Bibo regarding this issue. It's really unfair to senior citizens of the world to be discriminated this way. How come I see senior citizen here? Not local, I mean!
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
countries stopping whoever they want from entering doesn't make my request any less of a human right!
this is a discriminative attitude that hits the core of human dignity.
This rule applies to the Asians as well.
While I feel sorry for your situation, it is not a "basic human right". Countries can stop whoever they want from entering.
no... it's the case of all my Arab friends trying to bring in their elder parents...
and the officer clearly told me that"mashallah, he is old, we cannot accept anyone older than 60"
.
.
.could be that your father is blacklisted?
.
.
.
.that's all......
.