Hafiz Abdul Baqi & Co

The Gulf accounts for the largest share of Pakistani migration, and most of the work is documentary rather than adversarial. What determines whether a process runs smoothly is almost always attestation: whether educational, marriage and birth documents have been legalised correctly and in the right order.

Getting that wrong stalls employment start dates and family sponsorship applications for weeks, and it is one of the most common problems we are asked to fix.

Routes we cover

  • Employment and work visas
  • Residence permits and renewals
  • Family residence and sponsorship applications
  • Business, investor and partner visas
  • Visit and family visit visas
  • Attestation and legalisation of Pakistani documents

What we do from Pakistan

  • Attestation and legalisation of degrees, marriage and birth certificates
  • Verification of educational documents through the relevant boards and HEC
  • Employment contract review before you sign
  • Family sponsorship documentation and proof of relationship
  • Police character certificates and supporting affidavits
  • Powers of attorney for matters continuing in Pakistan while you are abroad

Review the contract before you sign

Gulf employment contracts are frequently signed on the strength of an offer letter that differs materially from the contract eventually presented on arrival — on salary structure, notice, end-of-service entitlement or the ability to change employer.

A short review before signature is inexpensive and prevents a category of dispute that is very difficult to resolve once you are in the destination country.

Common Questions

Frequently asked

Why does my degree need attestation?

Gulf employers and authorities require Pakistani educational documents to be verified and legalised through a chain — the issuing institution, the relevant board or HEC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then the destination country's mission. Skipping a step means the document is rejected at the end of the chain.

How long does attestation take?

It depends on the document and the institution that issued it. Educational verification is usually the slowest step. Start it as early as possible, well before a job start date.

Consultancy and advice only. No outcome is guaranteed. The decision on any application rests entirely with the deciding authority, and no adviser can promise a visa. Immigration advice is also a regulated activity in most destination countries: the firm’s work is carried out from Pakistan — eligibility assessment against published rules, documentation, verification, attestation and supporting submissions — and where a matter requires regulated representation in the destination country we coordinate with advisers regulated there. Requirements change frequently; check the current position before acting.

Enquiries

Prepared properly, or not submitted.

We would rather tell you an application is not ready than take a fee for one that will be refused.

Contact the firm