Job Discussion Forums

shahrezade1001 · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 19

Hi everyone,
I am a 44 year old female. I just applied for a couple of university jobs in KAR. I was reading the Department of State website, and it says that an iqama holder needs an exit visa to leave the country, and that an employer can block this for months. Has anyone heard of this happening? Is it something I should be worried about, should I decide I can't stand it there or run into problems? Thank you so much for ANY useful info which might play into my decision about whether or not to go there, particularly as regards safety.

johnslat · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:25 pm Post subject:

Dear shahrezade1001,

A search will turn up lots of info:

"Doing a runner is impossible since the OP has an iqama and would need an exit visa to depart the country. Plus, the employer could be holding his/her passport."

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=99502&highlight=exit+visa

Here's the link to what a search for "exit visa" "Saudi Arabia" turned up.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/search.php?mode=results

If you have an iqama (as opposed to a "business visa"/ "work-visit visa"
which some teachers who are working illegally in Saudi have) it's virtually impossible to leave without an exit visa. Some employers will give you "multiple exit/re-entry visa," but other employers won't and, moreover, will hold onto your passport (even though they're not supposed to)

Unless you want the possibility of spending 1001 (unwanted) Arabian nights, you'd better do a lot of research on this site and also try to find out the facts about how your potential employer behaves.

Regards,
John

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

KSA - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I'm not sure what KAR is either Scot...

But the answer to your question about the iqama and exit visas is true. While it doesn't happen (usually) at the better employers, it has happened to members of this board and their fellow teachers. Some employers - even some universities - are not to be trusted... and have not allowed teachers to leave to get badly needed medical care or because of ill or dying family members back home.

If you wish to have freedom of movement and the ability to leave if things go bad, I suggest that you might want to avoid Saudi Arabia.

VS

johnslat · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:02 am Post subject:

Well, there IS an Al Kar - a "tourist village" in Al Hada - but I doubt that's the place.

Regards,
John

PeterParvo · Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Posts: 103

Once upon a time an engineering friend of mine wanted to go home for Christmas and despite giving his employer two months to get it arranged, he was looking at sand outside his window instead of snow on Christmas. This was due mainly to the ineptness of his employer rather than his employer imprisoning him.

However, if you're low enough down on the ethnic/socio-economic ladder, you will probably be abused in this way in KSA.

shahrezade1001 · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 19

Thank you all for the useful replies! I'm sorry for my weird typo. Of course I meant KSA. I haven't been getting enough sleep recently.

While obviously the most disturbing thing that could happen would be to be maliciously denied an exit visa, if I was unable to leave during an emergency I'm not sure that I'd care what the reason was (incompetence, laziness, malice....) I will definitely give this some thought!

When I mentioned danger, I was also thinking of civil unrest, i.e. Arab Spring type stuff. As far as I can tell from the news, there's been a little of that there, though not much. But God forbid something were to really happen, I just wonder if a teacher could be stuck there in some kind of war situation a la Syria because her/his exit visa was everyone's last priority.

Gulezar · Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 483

The US is pretty good at getting civilians out in emergencies. The movie Argo is being shown in the Gulf, in countries where cinemas are available, so perhaps we should add that the US sometimes needs the assistance of our Canadian friends. In general, I think the Saudi government does not want to see any harm come to their guests from the US. This would include all countries in the Gulf, excluding Iran, of course, which is pretty much a no-go for Americans anyway. The Arab Spring makes for great media footage, but business goes on as usual in the Gulf, and I would suspect very drearily indeed in KSA.

abercrombie · Joined: 17 Oct 2012 Posts: 11

If you do make your final exit, make sure you have the NOC in hand (but that might set off alarms in your employers' heads). It depends on how bad you wanna leave KSA.
However, it does suck to complete your contract and get boned by not getting an NOC. KSA is the major player in tertiary teaching and the contractors know this.

BTW, does anyone have experience with Search Associates? I was thinking of using them, but their high fee has me thinking twice or triple..... Shocked

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Many employers refuse LONO/NOC.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

johnslat · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:35 pm Post subject:

Dear Gulezar,

Ask me - I was in Shiraz in '79. When things started heating up, a bunch of us 'Mercans went down to the consulate where we'd registered when we arrived there. The place was all boarded up and locked; they'd decamped without notifying any of us.

Regards,
John

abercrombie · Joined: 17 Oct 2012 Posts: 11

OK, this is a very likely scenario: you are at the American embassy in the mIDDLE East. Helicopters are flying overhead and you can hear explosions in the distance. You have maybe 1 suitcase filled with absolute essentials (whatever they are). The embassy is closed and there is a sign that says, "Sorry we missed you. We are closed."

How do you arrange for the transfer of your savings from rials, or dirhams, or whatever, without making yourself a walking target? I've looked at this problem, and the best guess is to make an interbank transfer online (which would take time and cost fees). You would have to have an overseas bank account linked to your company bank account and I think you would have to have some knowledge of Arabic to do the transfer.

the other way is to hop the next flight to a safe country and yank out your money from an ATM with your ATM card. I've tried cards in Middle East countries and they dispense cash in the prevailing currency.

Do you guys have any ideas?? Question

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Previous post is clearly from sommeone with no experience of living or working in the ME within living memory. Banking and international trasnfers from KSA are easy and no knowldge of Arabic is required.

Even in 1970, when I first went there, at the tender age of 23, banks were efficientt at moving mnoney around !

Of course when Armageddon comes......................

And remember - to use Saudi banks you need.....................

AN IGAMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!