Visit visa? residency permit?

It depend a bit on your husband's status here.  If he has a resident visa and is sponsored by an employer here then that should be extended to you too. If not, then yes, you will have to exit and re-enter to get fresh visitor visas, these vary in length according to your nationality.  A quick trip to Dubai will do the trick!

I am a US citizen with a valid passport.  I'm not sure what my husband's visa status is, but for the sake of this question let's just ignore that.

Just to be clear, though, I cannot extend my current visa?  I have been told by some that I could stay for 3 months before doing a Dubai visa bounce. 

We're planning to visit the immigration office at a better time on his next day off, hoping for a more helpful person. 

Thanks!

UK citizens get three months on a visitor visa on entry, which may be where that has come from.  I thought you could only renew once at the visa office, but they may have changed the rules, so worth checking. See what they say when you go back - worth a try!

Thanks for the help!

Oh, one more question...

Is there a limit to the number of fresh visas I'm allowed to get?

Not sure, to be honest, though I know some people have gone quite a while coming in and out. Someone else may know.

hello,

may be this thread can give you some info: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=454404

good luck

T&R

He can sponsor you I guess !

Or if he couldn't

Here are the options for a UK passport holder !


Your best shot would be getting a 3 months visit visa , renew it for 3 more months !
Then fly to Qatar ,
Why Qatar?
Because , "British Airways Roundtrip" to Qatar just costs 40 BD #Cheap

Come back again on arrival and apply for visit visa at the airport , then do the same 3+3 months procedure !

There are options like 5 year visa but you get to stay just 28 days and have to exit and enter Bahrain again !
It'd turn out to be costly , but the visit visa way would be economical 

Thanks for the tip, I'm a US passport holder though. 

I'll see what happens at the immigration office when I go next. 

Hubby wants me to fly to Dubai, not Doha because it's more western and if my flight gets cancelled I can safely get a hotel etc...

Not sure what scale your husband is able to measure westernism on, but Doha is absolutely fine for a woman on her own to spend a night in. Plenty of good hotels around or even in Souq Waqif area downtown Doha if you want to take in some of the sights there.