Your family should be able to come here on a tourist visa... I did-- my husband had a work visa and I got a visa on arrival (the Qatar embassy website in the US doesn't bother to mention this option, maybe because it's only about $15). Anyway, if they haven't worked out your family's residence permits after a month, they can just take a "visa run" to Bahrain or Dubai (I went to Dubai for the weekend) and the countdown starts again. Mine took about 2 months-- and that's not too bad. I've actually never heard of family's having their visa before arrival, not sure what they are trying to get. Most come in on tourist visas, and go straight for the Residence Permits on arrival.
Your family should be able to come here on a tourist visa... I did-- my husband had a work visa and I got a visa on arrival (the Qatar embassy website in the US doesn't bother to mention this option, maybe because it's only about $15). Anyway, if they haven't worked out your family's residence permits after a month, they can just take a "visa run" to Bahrain or Dubai (I went to Dubai for the weekend) and the countdown starts again. Mine took about 2 months-- and that's not too bad. I've actually never heard of family's having their visa before arrival, not sure what they are trying to get. Most come in on tourist visas, and go straight for the Residence Permits on arrival.