Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:43 am Post subject:

Dear johndhorton,

"Are you part of their criminal conspiracy???"

Naw, they wouldn't let me join; I'm planning on filing a suit charging age discrimination.

But seriously - it's simply the policy on Dave's that specific names and/or e-mail addresses of individuals complained about aren't allowed.

While I'm sure that you have a legitimate grievance, just imagine how many individuals could also post fake grievances about real people.

Regards,
John

waiting4visa · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 14 Location: U.S.A.

Sorry this scam happened to you. You need to contact the police in Oklahoma and report your passport missing immediately. I almost got scammed from people posing as the Dubai British School, and their ads still are posted! I just saw a fresh one today dated November 9 on Jacob Peebles esl cafe. I wrote to them and I can't believe they are still posting their ad! I wonder if they are part of the conspiracy?

bedewi · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

In all likelihood you were not guaranteed a job by KSU. The company who you signed a contract with were probably hired by KSU to find instructors. Did you sign a contract with KSU? If not their story is very plausible. The university has the final say in who comes and if they decided your qualifications were not up to par, then it's not within their control. Maybe the recruiters felt you were qualified because of your library science degree, but KSU told them, "No, not good enough."

Did they offer to send your passport back along with a refund? If not then maybe there is a problem. Otherwise I wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly with no real evidence of foul play.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:11 pm Post subject:

Dear johndhorton,

"You need to contact the police in Oklahoma and report your passport missing immediately."

I'm not so sure that the OK police would be much interested. But I'd contact the Passport Division of the State Department if I were you.

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/index.htm

Regards,
John

johndhorton · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 8

"In all likelihood you were not guaranteed a job by KSU. The company who you signed a contract with were probably hired by KSU to find instructors."

Well, you are not supposed to be applying to the Saudi Consulate for an "employment" visa unless you have ... !!!employment!!!. This company makes you go and pay money to Global Visa in Houston for an Saudi employment visa even though there is no job offer from King Saud University.

I was sent an email by "W (MOD edit) who said that the recruiting company's (the subject of this forum, i.e. International Co. For Education & E-Learning) principal "Al-Haitam & Mohawarean" company in Saudi Arabia is stilling trying to find me a job. It may be a stalling tactic on their part to get me to slow down on turning them into the police so they can close down their office in Houston (at Global Visa) and get out of town in a hurry. Here is what "W (MOD edit) emailed me yesterday, November 9, 2009:

"Dear Horton

I would like to share some information with you, first of all H (MOD edit) is hired by our company to search and find people and teachers for our company requirements for King Saud University in Saudi. Second thing, is that y(MOD edit) which is he representing the Global Visa Agency also hired by our company to help us obtaining the visa which is hi did obtain the visa for you and you will see it stamped in your Passport ( that mean we are interesting to hire you ). so I believe both of them they have nothing to do regarding the contract cancellation and they don't have any involvement regarding your claim. so the right people to contact for your issue is Dr. Farah And I.

We apologize for the inconvenience that we may have caused, and all your money that you have spend for the visa issuance we will refund it to you ASAP through our Agency ( Global Visa ) but they are waiting for our instruction regarding this. why the agency is waiting? because we are planning for you another opportunity that meet your Degree requirements with one of our projects out of King Saud University and we will get back to you very soon. Meanwhile, you will get your passport and the money you spent and asked to be returned to you.

Dear Yazeed
please send Back to Mr. Horton the money that he spend for the Visa Process along with his Passport.

W (MOD edit)
HR & Administration
MANAGER-Riyadh
Al-Haitam & Mohawarean
(MOD edit)

bedewi · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

Your employer was not KSU however, it was apparently Al-Haitam. So you were employed by them, a Saudi-based company. They were sponsoring your visa, not KSU, and apparently they are refunding you and returning your passport (according to the E-Mail). So where is the scheme? The consulate charges money for a visa and, if what this guy is saying is correct, you actually have the visa stamped on your passport.

So these guys would be making what, $20 off of you? Hardly worth the trouble. It appears they're actually losing money since they're eating your visa fees.

johndhorton · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 8

At this point I have not received any thing back. I have not received any money back ($240 for the consulate fee, Global-Visa's fee and 4 US Postal Service "Express Mails"). They still have blank money orders from me for around $170.

Again, you don't apply for an employment visa from the Saudi Consulate unless you have an employment offer.

They should have waited until King Saud University made an offer then visa processing should have started.

John D. Horton
Lawton, Oklahoma
USA

bedewi · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

Given that the semester has already started in KSA, they were likely doing both themselves and you a favor by rushing the paperwork through. If they hired 20 people in the past few months and all of them were accepted they had no reason to suspect your case would be any different, and no reason not to move forward. Unfortunately it didn't work out, but I don't see anything here except the typical bureaucratic inefficiency you will encounter throughout the Middle East. You can speculate on their intentions, but really it's just that -- speculation.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:

Dear bedewi,

I agree - don't take it personally, and don't see it is some grand conspiracy.

It's far, far more likely that it's simply yet another instance of the incompetence, laziness and inefficiency that affects all bureaucracies to some degree, but seems to be on a whole other level in the Kingdom.

If there were gold medals given out for such, Saudi would have a lock on them (not to mention the silver and the bronze, as well.)

Regards,
John

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

It all sounds a bit fishy!

In regards to the 5-Year visa, its something new. It is now possible to get a 5-Year Multiple Entry Business Visa. I only know of one person who received one and he applied through https://enjazit.com.sa/.

Keep in mind that a business visa does not allow for work or residence in KSA.

http://www.tulbah.org/

johndhorton · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 8

I received my US passport and $228 back from Global Visa in Houston on orders from "Al-Haitam & Mohawarean" which is the principal to "International Co. For Education & E-Learning." The Saudi visa apparently is not an employment visa but a vistor's visa because it says that I am "not permitted to work." The duration of the visa is 180 days. I guess once you arrive in Saudi Arabia, the employer tries to convert your 180 day visitor visa into a worker's visa. This still does not compensate me for my time and energy in applying for the position or the two weeks that I stopped looking for work after having signed the contract with "International Co. For Education & E-Learning."

I still have the employment contract with "International Co. For Education & E-Learning." I am giving them a week to 10 days to find me a new job in Saudi Arabia and fly me over there. If not, I am fully prepared to file a breach of contract suit against all parties associated with "Al-Haitam & Mohawarean," "International Co. For Education & E-Learning" and "Global Visa" in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas located in Houston TX. At this point, there would be about six named individuals and three companies listed. All of them have the option of retaining their own private counsel which in federal civil cases usually runs around $5K as an initial retainer for each defendant.

John D. Horton
Lawton, Oklahoma
USA

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Also bear in mind that they can bring you over to Saudi, fire you the next day, and you will have no case against anybody in the US, and an extremely dodgy case in Saudi.

geomood · Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Posts: 22

I had a similar negative experience, file the suit. If you contact me I'd be glad to give a deposition. Ignore the poster who appears to be a consistent apologist for the KSA.

johnslat · Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

Dear geomood,

You had a similar experience, but you didn't file a suit - or did you? If not, why not since you're advising johndhorton to do so? If so, how did it turn out?

Regards,
John