Job Discussion Forums

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

I'm trying to gear up to assume my job in Saudi. I know my school will be providing me with the assistance I need, but Ramadan is approaching, and I'd really like to get as much of a head start as I can. I know this is probably the most boring type of post, but I could really use some help.

Can someone please tell me how to go about getting the criminal check and the transcript? Is the criminal check done at the state (police) level or federal (FBI) level. Does it have to be notarized or apostilled?

Also, my transcript, same question. Do I ask my school to send it to me, or send it elsewhere?

Is it even the same for everyone? I understand in Saudi there aren't really hard and fast rules. Are the variances a school by school thing? Or a recent gov't regulations thing?

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

I received my criminal background report via the state police (Bureau of Investigation); they notarized it upon my request. I got it within 10 days, however, some states may take longer.

My US university registrar provided me with a transcript and a letter verifying my degree completion (both documents notarized), which I then submitted to the SACM along with a color photocopy of my degree and other required documentation. Most US universities are used to these requests because it's nearly the same process for their Saudi graduates. See http://www.sacm.org/pdf/Applicationauthentication.pdf for the procedure for having your degree authenticated. You can always call or email your registrar if you have questions.

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

One more thing... Here's the link to the distance learning form your university registrar is required to fill out: http://www.sacm.org/pdf/DistanceLearning.pdf

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

Thanks for those links. The SACM in the states has not been answering any of my phone calls (although the one in Spain has been very efficient and helpful!) so I've been kind of lost in a lot of these details.

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Hey thanks.

Do you know what is required to get a local police check? Can I do it from afar? Does it have to be in a certain state? I don't think I have residency anywhere anymore, and have no plans to visit the state on my license.

Also, is police check, transcript, and med check all there is? That really doesn't sound to challenging. Yet Saudi seems to be the worst in terms paperwork. What am I missing?

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

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Thanks for the response.

This actually doesn't sound the difficult.
Transcript, medical check, police check....all sounds manageable.

So where do the huge delays come in.
Also, the uni that hired me said they usually get their paperwork processed efficiently as they have a good reputation and relationship with the officials. Hope that's true.

They also said that other have done it abroad, as long as their residents. That sounds lovely, but perhaps too complicated. So I've resigned myself to heading back to the states for a spell. Is one-month feasible?

Also, any idea if it would be possible to get my med check from a doctor here in Asia and do the rest at home? Whose decision would that be?

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

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Yeah, I see what you're saying about the medical report. I just thought it might be an INCREDIBLY more expensive to do in the US. I did see your post about medical reports on the cheap -- hopefully I can find something like that.

Regarding the extra stuff you say I needed, all I see that corresponds to it on the Saudi Embassy site is:

A certified and notarized copy of the applicants university degree/diploma, which MUST be validated by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission. A certified and notarized copy of the training or technical diploma must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. Diplomas need to be notarized by a Saudi Arabian Consulate in the United States. The fee is US $8.00 (eight dollars) per page, payable to “The Embassy of Saudi Arabia.” Cash and personal checks are not accepted.

I assume this is what you're referring to? Hopefully someone at the SACM will actually be in contact with me one day about how to do this.

By certified and notarized does that just mean you give your degree to a notary public and they.....I don't know, what do they do?

Lucky, I attended a very small college. I'm talking very small. So getting things from them tends to be a quite easy process.

Man, I wish the whole world ran like Vermont.

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

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Ok, this is starting to make a bit of sense.

It seems that there are almost two processes: The list of things to get a visa includes having your degree authorized which itself requires a list of things. It's like a process within the process.

Regarding getting the degree authorized:

Here it says to submit a copy of your degree: http://www.sacm.org/pdf/Applicationauthentication.pdf

Here it says to submit a certified copy of your degree: http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Document_Certification_Instruction.pdf

And here it says to submit a certified and notarized copy: http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Document_Certification_Instruction.pdf

I have no idea what the difference between getting it certified and notarized is. But notarized seems quite easy to do so hopefully certification is as well.

This part of the process seems largely straightforward, and it certainly looks like it can be done from abroad, provided one has a stateside address to have documents returned to.

balqis · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 373

Yes, but if you are working in Korea based on your M.A. degree, then it must have been authenticated and then notarized and apostilled anyway.
And the notarization and apostille'ing of your degree you carry out only once, as an apostille, stamped on your degree by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirms the degree is valid for international circulation and this validation is permanent.
Then before you go to work in a particular country, and if the country needs it, you have it approved in their Embassy.
This is how I comprehend it and how it was with my degrees.

balqis

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Well, I'm hoping to leave my MA out of the whole process. I need it for the job, but hopefully they'll just want to see it and the visa is entirely unrelated to it. That's been a few times on here.

I haven't seen anything about apostilles for saudi. I thought t hey weren't part of the whole apostille deal. When I get my contract sent to me I'll contact SACM and hopefully they'll actually answer.

I contacted the nearest embassy and they said they don't do notarizing anymore. Sigh...thanks guys.

They did say they would give me a document saying that it really was me who brought it in to them....which I thought was what a notary did in the first place. Hopefully that will be enough.

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

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Will the SACM likely refuse a background check depending on which state it is offered from? The university saw my place of birth on my passport and that is listed on my contract as both my address and my flight allowance destination. Which is fine. But I might not be able to make it back there to get a check.

Can I get one from another state? I really am not a resident of my homestate any more and really don't want to venture back there for this document -- doesn't look like they mail it. Of course I don't want then to say 'this doesn't match your passport' and make a problem.

It's not like I would be submitting a check from Idaho or something. Just the state where my father lives.