Job Discussion Forums

[JerkyBoy]

I'd like to hear from Ed Ex employees, past and present, about their experiences concerning visas/ iqamas.

[fledex]

During two years with them, I never had anything other than a single entry visit visa. Many of the visas said "work not permitted." As it turned out, this wasn't a bad choice, because I could run from Edex when I had enough of them, and I could come back to Saudi with another employer without having to get a letter of no objection from Edex.

However, Edex has used both the visit and employment visas to hold teachers in Saudi during their vacations. They simply won't get the teacher another visit visa if they leave (in the case of a visit visa). Or, they won't give the teacher permission to leave if they are on an iqama. It's better to work for a company that will get you a valid employment visa and that can be trusted to give you the vacations you want outside the country, and that will also give you a letter of no objection for other employment.

[EnglishDoYouSpeakIt]

2 years on visit visa, 1 year on iqama. No real complaints except on a visit visa you can't get a bank account and a few other things.

Months before each break we get e-mails, that include stuff like this

"We have determined that we will allow, with approval, a selection of individuals from the following groups to travel abroad during the break period, March 22-30, 2012:

Those who are on iqama and thus pose no visa issues
Those who are on work visit visas, who arrived before February 1, 2011, and who did not travel in November or January
Those who are in need of, or who otherwise desire, an iqama (see below)..."


They seem to do their best to accommodate travel, while they are not required to do so. According to the contract we are not granted any vacation time save the month at the end of the year, so these weeks off should be viewed as a gift to begin with, without even the mention of being able to leave the country.

[JerkyBoy]

This is all valuable info. Nice one.

[JerkyBoy]

[EnglishDoYouSpeakIt]

I don't know what deal everybody got, but generally there is a free month of pay at the end of your contract. For those teachers who left with the intent to renew we got more time off and a half now, half when we get back deal for our vacation pay.

Everyone can leave at the end of the year, but remember, many teachers who start in, say, February, their year long contract is still barely halfway come summer. There are summer positions and recruiters will put you in every hole that they can fill.

[JerkyBoy]

[EnglishDoYouSpeakIt]

[fledex]

I don't know of any teacher who worked for Edex that was allowed to leave the country fo the 12th month and still get their full vacation pay, unless they were returning to work for Edex again. In fact, I know most teachers my first year did not receive their full vacation pay. I think only two did, and they had stayed in the country during that month, but didn't work during the month. If they left, they wouldn't have received all of it.

[JerkyBoy]

[JerkyBoy]

[nomad soul]

[JerkyBoy]

[fledex]

Wasta is more important than reputation. Otherwise, Edex would have folded after their first year in the English teaching business.

[cmp45]