Job Discussion Forums

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:22 pm Post subject:

This is exactly the sort of situation many of us have been warning people about for months. Since your presence as a worker here in the Kingdom is illegal, you have precisely ZERO rights! None! And it's no good saying that in practice, those on full working visas have few rights too. That is true, but except in a few rare cases, flagrant abuses of they type you mention do not happen with those employers who go to the trouble of hiring teachers on proper visas.

As Mia says, your employers can - and probably will - get you forcibly evicted should you overstay. There's really nothing you can do about it. Might be best to cut your losses and put it down to experience.

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

Everybody always talks of the hazards of accepting contracts without the proper work visa upfront but nobody EVER mentions where these jobs are advertised. Since I only know of 4 ESL dedicated sites, Booz-Allen, Monster.com & a few others that have various jobs in the middle east & elsewhere, could someone please be kind enough to tell me where they find all these jobs that have the proper work visas to dispense?

Yah, it sure would be nice to have everything all legal & everything but I've received 50 or more replys to online applications in the last year & not a single one had work visas ready to dispense before I left home.They all had Business Visas & now Government Visit Visas that they promise will be converted upon arrival.

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

I should have said I know only 4 dedicated ESL sites in addition to Booz-Allen etc.

johnslat · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject:

Dear BillCowher,

I don't know what your qualifications and experience are, but if you have an MA (usually in TESOL or Applied Linguistics) and some overseas experience you can apply to the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) or King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), to name but two very reputable employers.

Regards,
John

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

I agree with Cleo on this one. It takes a long time to earn the friendship of a local with the wasta to actually help you. Wasta is a commodity like money to those who have it. It is not something that they would "spend" on a foreign acquaintance unless they think that foreigner can do something for them... which is fair enough.

BillCowher...

I agree with all the experienced posters. Chalk it up to experience and go before the visa expires. In the courts with a non-working visa you haven't a leg to stand on... in any country.

VS

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

johnslat · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject:

Dear BillCowher,

I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences in Saudi; good experiences seem to be the exception there (and lucky me - I was an exception.)

But the life you're heading back to sounds darn good to me, even without the boat (and perhaps only Noah REALLY needed a boat.)

All the best,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Choose your employer with care. Coming to KSA is a big step. Choosing a bad employer can be truly disastrous.

One of the signs of a bad employer may be that they are not sufficiently interested to bring you on on a legal visa that allows you an Iqama.

Another warning sign is when the accommodation offered is shared or in some other way substandard.

Would a Saudi going for graduate studies abroad accept shared accommodation ? Of course not. Why should teachers be expected to do that in KSA?

tacomaboywa · Joined: 18 Jan 2009 Posts: 194 Location: The Magic Kingdom

I hope everyone reading this thread will just avoid coming to KSA on anything but an Employment Visa.

Last year when I was naive and took a job with a recruiter (M-Trading) I faced many problems. I ended up stuck in the country and my visa did expire. I think I was lucky that I was a westerner. The immigration police had no interest in deporting me or anything. The company received a fine of SR 10,000 since they were the sponsor.

So if you end up overstaying your visa you will probably end up stuck in the country for a long period of time until the issue is resolved with your sponsor. I'm sure your sponsor will try to get this 10,000 back from you before you leave.

-------------
Avoid M-Trading!
http://www.tulbah.org/

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

Thank you but...

Since I've been cheated & lied to in both of my Saudi "adventures" I'll just begin "my last great adventure" which is raising my first child & retiring to The Philippines where I will spend my time farming and fishing, not necessarily in that order.

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

...and I'll have a few brews, lots of pork and talk to women I'm not even related to. It will be easy to tell the women from the potatoes because women, including Muslim women, do not wear potato sacks in The Islands.

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

BillCowher · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 131 Location: Up in the air!!!

Why does my age have anything to do with the women in Saudi being repressed? Other women of the same religion do not tolerate such discrimination and repression.