Job Discussion Forums

[mattjd43]

I have read several posts on Dave's from people who have run into horrible situations when employers refuse to return passports as a means of leverage. My question is, is it necessary for an employer to hold a teacher's passport during the length of the contract? If I were to be hired in Yemen and my employer told me they needed to hold my passport, couldn't I just say, "hell no!" and not hand it over?

Thanks.

--Matt

[helenl]

It is illegal in UAE to hold employee passports, does it still happen? Yes, but usually not for teachers in reputable educational institutions. In Qatar, they don't hold your passport but you need an exit pass in order to leave the country, so they've got you there (unless you have a multiple exit pass in your passport)

In Oman, you need a road pass to leave by road (talk about stating the obvious but not if you leave by plane.

Not sure about actual laws on holding passports in Qatar & Oman. In Saudi, they hold your passport - end of discussion.

[adorabilly]

Hi matt.

You have 2 issues here. IN THE UAE (thanks for the reminder VS that other countries are different)

1. in order to get your visa you will have to give your passport to your employer for them to get all the leg work done on the visa. That is unavoidable in most instances.

So your employer should have your visa for your first 4 to 8 weeks in country. Once the visa comes through, they should give your passport back to you. If they don't concact your local embassy about it.

2. The second issue is that your employer is asking to "hold on to" your passport after you have the visa. That is not cool, and usually against the law. If your employer tries that contact your embassay about it, and notify the local labor department.

Any reputable school (like helen1 said) will not even try to hold on to your passport.

[veiledsentiments]

The rules depend on the countries. In Saudi Arabia, as far as I know, all employers hold the passports and your only choice to avoid it is not to take a job there.

In the other countries, rules can vary as to whether you are working for the government or a private employer. For instance, in Kuwait, I needed an exit visa (I had my passport, but couldn't leave) working for a government employer, but private employers did not require them. In Oman, government employers did not hold passports, but private employer did.

By employers here I am referring to education only because that is all I am familiar with. The reality is that you have no choice... if you want the job, you give them the passport. If you are American, the US embassy won't give you any assistance with this. I worked with one employer in Oman that held the passport, but it was zero problem. If I was planning to head to the Emirates over the weekend, I just stopped on my way out and asked them for it. They opened the big safe and handed it to me. When I came back to work the next week, they put it back in the safe. I considered it safe storage.

So, it is not how reputable the employer is, but the practice of the country. We can talk all we want about laws and how its our property... yadda yadda... but our only leverage if we don't like it is to not take the job.

VS

[mattjd43]

Thanks for the excellent information folks. Just the thought of being in a foreign country without my passport in my pocket makes me shudder a bit. But as has been written here, if I have a problem handing it over to an employer then I suppose I just shouldn't take the job!

Thanks again.

--Matt

[Surfing Instructor]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

I can tell when I did...and I'm an informant! Shear off!!!

NCTBA

[johnslat]

Dear Surfing Instructor,

Maybe Saudis don't hold onto the passports of surfing instructors, but they hold onto the passports of EFLers there.

And before you ask - I left in 2003, but I e-mailed three teachers I know still working there (for different employers: Saudi government, Vinnell, and Raytheon) and, according to them, the Saudis still do.

Regards,
John

[Surfing Instructor]

Surfing is a part time hobby of mine.

My apologies JS, I stand corrected. I didnt know any TEFLers in KSA. Though I did know many Asians and Arabs who had their passports held. I never met a western expat who had his/her passport held. Maybe its just TEFLers that get grouped in with the TCNs etc.

Moral of the story, get a proper job in Saudi and dont get treated like an expat from a poor country.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

So, now TEFLin' isn't a proper job? Git a life, bub!

NCTBA

[johnslat]

Dear Surfing Instructor,

So, would i be correct, then, in assuming that you're not a TEFLer? But if you're not, why in heavens name would you want to hang around these forums - unless, of course, you're into slumming?

Regards,
John

[Neil McBeath]

As so frequently happens on these posts, generalities get in the way of information.

At BAE Systems, the COMPANY holds the passport, but the employee can go and ask for it back at any time. So on Wednesdays, a whole batch of passpots is handed over, and they are returned to the compasny on Saturday (officially). In fact, if an employee knew that he would be leaving KSA on, say, the Monday it wasn't necessary to hand over the passport and then reclaim it.

I also have to say that nobody seemed to object to this policy, and BAE Systems actually paid for a new passport when the old one expired, so that was a bonus.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[johnslat]

Dear Neil McBeth,

You're right. BAE does hold onto your passport:

"You also need to be aware that, once in Saudi, you will be a virtual prisoner and will only be permitted an exit visa if the Saudi Air Farce and the Company agree to give you one. Weekend visits to Bahrain, Jordan or Dubai will only be possible infrequently and with plenty of notice. The Company will hold your passport and even a compassionate exit will take some time to arrange."

But if this gentleman is correct, it doesn't seem too much different from the Saudis' holding onto it.

http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-39125.html

Regards,
John

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]