Job Discussion Forums

[PastorYoon]

What about the background check? Can I just go to my local police station and have them print one for me? Will the hiring company or Saudi immigration also conduct their own searches in addition to what I will provide?

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Yes! Actually, they've got nothing else to do...NOT! Their " security checks" are only to see if'n youse done a runner!

[PastorYoon]

My offer says that I must fully satisfy the requirements for working in Saudi Arabia. It says that one of these requirements will be background check.

* Can I just go to my local police station and get a police report?
* If so, do I have to bring it to the dept. of state and get an apostille?
* Will the company perform their own background check in addition to mine?
* Will Saudi immigration conduct their own background check?

[Sheikh N Bake]

Doesn't this depend on WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE IN?

If in the US, it also depends on what state or even what county you're in. For one Saudi job back in '94 I just went to the local police station in Audubon, New Jersey and had it done on the spot, and it was only for the local jurisdiction, which the Saudis found acceptable. When I applied for my current Saudi job, I was living in Houston, which meant Harris county, which meant going to the Harris Cty courthouse downtown and requesting a background check (fee $15 or so).

You do NOT need federal clearance.

No, you don't need any further endorsement of your original background check, but it must have a raised stamp on it.

No, your employer does not perform criminal background checks. If you've lived in Suadi previously, the Saudi authorities check for any previous infractions within Saudi Arabia. One of our new hires obtained his work visa, but was turned back at the airport because he had been caught at a party years ago in which drinking had taken place, even though he says he wasn't drinking.

You shouldn't need to be asking these questions on a board, because your employer is supposed to either (a) supply this info, or (b) refer you to a visa handling agent. If this is not happening, forget about trying to jump through all the visa hoops yourself. Hire a visa handler. I recommend Daran Visa Svcs in Washington.

[PastorYoon]

Wow. Thanks so much for your information!

Do you know if the Saudis still find the local jurisdiction acceptable?

[Sheikh N Bake]

Yes, they do, because they do not require the only national alternative, which is the FBI. And the FBI has other things to do, as you can imagine.

[PastorYoon]

I appreciate your time and candor. Much thanks!

[sauditeacher]

What a painful rigmarole is this whole KSA visa process! (And now that my wonderment at it all has subsided from anger to mere wonderment, Johnny Depp and 'Alice in Wonderland' comes to mind).

My head is spinning from trying to follow what you good folk have so kindly shared above.

And I am left pondering JohnSlat & Scot47's words, respectively, about the burdens brought on my the Kingdom's pervasive bureaucracy: "what routinely goes on in the Kingdom" and "If the bureaucracy of getting a visa upsets you, you are clearly not suited to life in the KofSA". Grounds for serious pause for thought; one has to question one's suitability to such an environment.

But, in any regard, it seems to me that using a visa agency is the way to go. Some have baulked at a US$ 175 agency fee; after the above posts, I think I'll gladly pay multiples of that.

[mortalhera]

sauditeacher:

I know exactly how you feel. I have been at the point of giving up several times. Then I remembered about having patience and humor and kept going.

I agree that $175 seems to be fine if an agency can expedite the process.

At the last moment, I decided not to use an agency. I had actually gone to a local office of an agency to turn over my documents but the woman there knew less about the Saudi visa process than I did. The week before I had even made an appointment so I expected more professionalism than that for $175.

So I struggled with the enjaz and after about 4 hours finally figured out how to get a browser to work with that program and found a credit card that the program would accept.

I sent everything to SCM this past Wednesday via FedEx.

It's a relief to have that finally done; I can smile again.
Now I just wait.

I've decided to adopt a che sera' sera' attitude to keep from going crazy.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Well, it's about time for these kinds of posts to start popping up again...


...quickly followed by ad hominem attacks on other posters when the answers that are wanted are not supplied...

NCTBA

[sheikher]

For the umteenth time, I spoonfeed unto thee again, lo and behold:

Here

http://workinginsaudiarabia.blogspot.com/

and

http://www.mol.gov.sa/en/Pages/GuidesForLaborers.aspx?m=4

furthermore

http://www.mol.gov.sa/en/Pages/LaborLaw.aspx?m=3

moreover

http://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hT5wBnTwtfY0P3gFBzAyM3cxMvZzNvCwNvE_1wkA7cKkyMIfJ-_kahbiaehoYWZq6GBkZmHiZOPmGeBu4uUHkDHMDRQN_PIz83VT9SP8ocYYuBqZOzgVGYn7NpUEiAgb-RkX5kTmp6YnKlfkF2dpCFt6MiAPQqk2M!/dl2/d1/L0lDU0lKSWdra0EhIS9JTlJBQUlpQ2dBek15cUEhL1lCSkoxTkExTkk1MC13ISEvN181Q1BDSThNMzEwNUJDMDJWTkM1UlRQME8yNQ!!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_5CPCI8M3105BC02VNC5RTP0O25_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/main/moi+home+content/home/rules+and+regulations/moi_residence+permit_default_en

in addition

http://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hT5wBnTwtfY0P3gFBzAyM3cxMvZzNvCwNvE_1wkA7cKkyMIfJ-_kahbiaehoYWZq6GBkZmHiZOPmGeBu4uUHkDHMDRQN_PIz83VT9SP8ocYYuBqZOzgVGYn7NpUEiAgb-RkX5kTmp6YnKlfkF2dpCFt6MiAPQqk2M!/dl2/d1/L0lDU0lKSWdra0EhIS9JTlJBQUlpQ2dBek15cUEhL1lCSkoxTkExTkk1MC13ISEvN181Q1BDSThNMzEwNUJDMDJWTkM1UlRQME8yNQ!!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_5CPCI8M3105BC02VNC5RTP0O25_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/main/moi+home+content/home/rules+and+regulations/moi_alien+visas_default_en


or you'll need this, so rid your wallet of those condoms and within keep folded conveniently

http://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/517d2c004d4bb7968d1bddbed7ca8368/Prison_Form3_FP.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=517d2c004d4bb7968d1bddbed7ca8368

and, FINALLY, good Lord in the morning

http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wT#

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

sheikher:

Spoon-feeding requires the recipient to swallow...I suggest a slow I.V. drip where the information will just flow without any difficulty to be places upon the recipient whatsoever...

NCTBA

[susan69]

ummkhadija : Did you get your visa yet ?

[sauditeacher]

[ummkhadija]

Hello: Susan69