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New Visa Requirements at Universities
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anacita wrote:
I had to use a visa agent because SBC required me to do so. SBC paid the visa fees to the visa agent, so I did not pay the Saudi Embassy or the visa agent myself. I did, however, pay for medical exam, police background check, and degree-authentication procedures---all together, it was like $500 and several weeks worth of work).

And then, the very day that the visa agent emailed to say that the visa was completed, SBC cancelled the employment contract.

There is truly no limit to how unprofessional these companies can be.

You could have saved yourself money, time, and a big headache; a thorough research on SBC within this forum would have shown how sketchy they are, which is why we continue to say they're best to be avoided. Working for them and the other numerous dodgy contracting companies is a crapshoot. Anyway, they could have at least told you why they cancelled your contract. But then, they're crappy, so why should they bother.

rdobbs98 wrote:
This is not the norm nor the truth. Like I said, I and many others who are going to the same university do not have specific degrees but degrees in other fields but have TEFL certification and teaching experience.

What may be happening is that schools do not like the candidate and rather than tell the truth, they find an excuse to get rid of them. This has happened more than a few times in KSA.

If this is the case, I'm curious if this is happening solely with gigs through contracting companies versus those positions that are direct hire.
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fractal75



Joined: 26 Oct 2012
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sirens of Cyprus wrote:
Thank God! I am so sick of having to compete with the CELTA crowd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhqqAUh1VPU

Meaning?
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rainbowprof



Joined: 18 Feb 2012
Posts: 133
Location: Penang

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Saudi Embassy in Australia does not accept visa applications from private individuals- the application form must be lodged by a visa agent on the list supplied by the embassy. I have been quoted $700 by the local doctor for my medical examination which I will then have authenticated by the national medical practitioner's association. The visa agents fees are not excessive if I personally authenticate all my documents independently.
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gelynch52ph



Joined: 15 Feb 2011
Posts: 132

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:32 am    Post subject: Distance Learning Reply with quote

nomad soul wrote:
scarlie wrote:
I've also heard that people have been refused because their undergraduate degree doesn't match their Masters. For example, if you have a degree in Economics and then get a Masters in TESOL, they may not accept it. (But I'm not positive on this.)

This makes no sense. For employment visa purposes, you're only required to submit the (one) most relevant degree and not every academic credential you possess.

But are you referring to potential employers rejecting applicants because of their degree majors? If so, also be aware that masters degrees obtained via distance learning aren't accepted by many Saudi employers. This might just be the case for some applicants.


My university in Pennsylvania, like many other actual universities, offers Masters and even undergrad degrees by distance learning. These offers are designed for the student who is employed and cannot just quit his job to expand his education. I wonder what these employers are going to say when these degrees become more prevalent?
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gelynch52ph



Joined: 15 Feb 2011
Posts: 132

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:35 am    Post subject: Saudi embassies Reply with quote

rainbowprof wrote:
The Saudi Embassy in Australia does not accept visa applications from private individuals- the application form must be lodged by a visa agent on the list supplied by the embassy. I have been quoted $700 by the local doctor for my medical examination which I will then have authenticated by the national medical practitioner's association. The visa agents fees are not excessive if I personally authenticate all my documents independently.


I am an American in The Philippines and the KSA Embassy in Manila is the most arrogant, unfriendly, unhelpful government entity I have ever experienced. I doubt even a Saudi citizen with a concern could ever get inside his own embassy. All visas must be processed by an agent who charges a bunch of money just because they are "registered" and allowed inside.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Saudi embassies Reply with quote

gelynch52ph wrote:
I am an American in The Philippines and the KSA Embassy in Manila is the most arrogant, unfriendly, unhelpful government entity I have ever experienced. I doubt even a Saudi citizen with a concern could ever get inside his own embassy.

I've had the same problem with American embassies abroad. At least now the web provides easy access to tax forms so you don't have to be strip-searched and deal with the snobs to get a blank 1040.

Maybe this is part of diplomatic training? Cool

VS
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Fernwood



Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sheikennotstirred wrote:
I have now heard from two different people who have confirmed that they had visas rejectected over the last couple of weeks, and that the reason given by the embassies was because they didn't have English degrees.

These are guys with experience, CELTAs, who have worked in Saudi before on work visas and iqamas and have proper NOCs etc.

Obviously it doesn't apply to the past or people already in the kingdom.

But it would be interesting to find out whether this is a new policy that is "trickling down", or whether it's just a couple of embassies being capricious at a local level.


I think this new policy is definitely correct. Several teachers on visit visas have had trouble. They are being told to either to get an iqama or end their contracts. Several have had to leave the Kingdom and it took weeks in a nearby country before they were able to return.

This policy doesn't affect those with iqamas, only those on visas.

Regardless of what anyone thinks about the visit visas, it works for teachers coming from countries outside their home country. You are not able to process an iqama unless you are coming from your home country. If you worked in China or Cambodia or elsewhere and you take a job in KSA, you have to go back to your home country, at your own expense, do all the medical and security checks, then come to the Kingdom. If you haven't lived in your home country for several years, you have no medical insurance so all those medical expenses are out of pocket.

So, it can be a hassle to get an iqama; much easier to just go on a work visa.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"So, it can be a hassle to get an iqama; much easier to just go on a work visa," says the last poster

But the "work visa" is the one that leads to an iqama !!!!!

You seem to be confused in your terminology.

My residence was in a country where there was no Saudi Embassy. The university trhat I worked for cleared the way for me by getting the SACM (Saudi Arabian Cultural Miussion) in the nedghbouring country (Turkey)
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gelynch52ph



Joined: 15 Feb 2011
Posts: 132

PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:30 pm    Post subject: The person you replied to does not know hois terminology. Reply with quote

scot47 wrote:
"So, it can be a hassle to get an iqama; much easier to just go on a work visa," says the last poster

But the "work visa" is the one that leads to an iqama !!!!!

You seem to be confused in your terminology.

My residence was in a country where there was no Saudi Embassy. The university trhat I worked for cleared the way for me by getting the SACM (Saudi Arabian Cultural Miussion) in the nedghbouring country (Turkey)


What I would like to know is, when you are not in your home country and since there is a mechanism for transferring a visa (for/from country A) to the embassy in the country where a person either is living or working (country B) why does every potential employer say, "you have to go back to your country to process your visa?" I am an American making my life in The Philippines and a trip to America is financially impossible. If I had that kind of spare money I would not need to go to The Magic Kingdom for work.
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Fernwood



Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:58 am    Post subject: Re: The person you replied to does not know hois terminology Reply with quote

gelynch52ph wrote:
[What I would like to know is, when you are not in your home country and since there is a mechanism for transferring a visa (for/from country A) to the embassy in the country where a person either is living or working (country B) why does every potential employer say, "you have to go back to your country to process your visa?" I am an American making my life in The Philippines and a trip to America is financially impossible. If I had that kind of spare money I would not need to go to The Magic Kingdom for work.


Not sure if I understand your question but the visa for Saudi belongs to the employer. Permission is necessary from that employer to transfer the visa to another employer. Sometimes they say no, they do not want to allow a transfer. In such cases, you go back to your home country and acquire a new visa.

If you are a resident in another country, yes, they require you to start all the paperwork in your home country.
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gelynch52ph



Joined: 15 Feb 2011
Posts: 132

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:18 am    Post subject: You did not understand my question Reply with quote

Not sure if I understand your question but the visa for Saudi belongs to the employer. Permission is necessary from that employer to transfer the visa to another employer. Sometimes they say no, they do not want to allow a transfer. In such cases, you go back to your home country and acquire a new visa.

If you are a resident in another country, yes, they require you to start all the paperwork in your home country.

What I was asking is: Since it is possible for a NEW visa (say one allocated for an American), for the American staying (possibly working in another country), to have the America allocated visa transferred to the KSA Embassy in (Seoul, Korea? or in my case Philippines & therefore Manila), why does nobody ever just do that? It could be accomplished in 10 minutes via fax or e-mail. Then I could use local doctors for the medical exams and pay 1/10 the cost as for the same exam in the US, not to mention the plane fares & hotels etc. As anyone in KSA knows, there are thousands of Filipinos there on proper work visas so the physical exam must be of sufficient quality.

It would just be logical to use the visa allocated to you and obtain it physically in any country with a KSA embassy without traveling home to do all that.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOGIGAL ??? What does logic have to fo with anything in KSA ?
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timmiez



Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Posts: 13
Location: Toronto, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any new hires with degrees in anything other than English/Linguistics?
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:12 pm    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

I think they'll hire you if the want you. I know a guy who just got to KFUPM with a CELTA and about 6 years experience.
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abayababy



Joined: 26 Dec 2012
Posts: 109

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Recent job announcements do not state related degree is a requirement. Also, when I was applying last summer, most stated would not accept distance or online degrees. This has disappeared from most job announcements that I've seen recently. Where I work, many do not have related degrees.
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