Job Discussion Forums

[Scotty79]

There are a few topics on here (and elsewhere) regarding the fact that acquiring a visa to teach at a university in Saudi requires the applicants university to send a letter stating that their qualifications were completed in person.

HOWEVER, every single thing I've read talks about the SACM. In the UK, the sacm is not responsible for attestation, it is the SACB, and their website doesn't make any mention of this letter, just the fact that they need an email/letter from the university to attest that the qualifications are real. (Below is the link to their page).

http://195.171.123.86/frmInfo.aspx#Non-Working

I am 2/3 of the way through an MA TESOL which I am studying for online through the University of Sunderland, who offer exactly the same course in person. I've done 7 years in Korea and I would like to do a year or two in Saudi to get a nice little (or preferably large!) nest egg built up, so my question is:

Does this rule apply to us Brits or not? Have any UK citizens on here, with online MA's, actually successfully received a visa to work at a Saudi uni in the past year?

Thanks all for your help.

[sicklyman]

it's hard to say that rules apply consistently with anything in Saudi. But, I'll share my experience. I have an MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL from Leicester. I did it distance in 2002 (before online courses became the norm) and it was correspondence. I also did a DELTA in 2005.

When I interviewed for Aramco, they looked at all my certification but focussed mostly on my DELTA. I used Harley Medical in London to do the visa application which was faultless.

Despite the fact that it was obvious from the dates on my CV that my degree had to have been done outside the UK, at no point in the application process was it questioned and my university was never contacted.

Obviously, if I hadn't had the DELTA, perhaps my degree would have come under more scrutiny. But I'm pretty sure that, for the purposes of a visa, the Saudi Embassy would be looking at my degree, not my DELTA, and I had no problems.

[Scotty79]

Thanks for your quick response Sicklyman. May I ask how long ago you last went through the visa application process? As I believe this is a new rule (if in fact it is a rule for us) isn't it?

[nomad soul]

Keep in mind, you'll see employment ads recruiting teachers from the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, etc., explicitly stating the Saudi government does not accept online degrees or certificates. This requirement is for all applicants. In terms of authenticating/attesting degrees, it safe to say the process the SACM follows for US citizens is different than the one used by the SACB for Brits, but the outcome is the same.

You're 2/3 through your degree program, so the Saudi government's present position doesn't matter. Perhaps by the time your MA is complete, the Saudi Ministry of Higher Ed will have shown some flexibility in accepting degrees via online instruction. But that remains to be seen, so don't hold your breath. By the way, Kuwait and Qatar also don't accept degrees with online coursework.

[naturegirl321]

Not British but a friend of mine was as to get a job at an Aramco school. His degree was done via cohorts but mainly online. Basically they studied on their own and through online interaction. But a couple times a year the American uni would send profs over for a week or two and they'd have regular classes.

It was with Framingham. Anyways my friend said no it was t online. I said it was. Aramco offered him a job but the SACM decided his degree was online. BUT it didn't seem to matter because in the end he got a work visa for Saudi. It did take longer than he thought it would. Like three or four months. He also got his icqama (spelling?).

This was last fall. He's not there anymore. Couldn't take Saudi culture.

I don't know what this means to be honest. Maybe the SACM won't accept online degrees but some Saudi employers will? He went through Teach Away but even then his salary with benefits was close to 90k usd a year. He also would have been given flight allowances 3 or 4 times a year. They'd have flown him to London but he asked for flight allowances because he's American. He's also a certified teacher and was going to be teaching kids aged 18-20. Prep year I guess.

Kind of rambling. Maybe nomad soul can explain it. I certainly don't really understand it.

[nomad soul]

I really can't say, Nature Girl. If he worked in KSA up to a year ago, it was prior to the Saudi government's current requirement that course credits completed online be specified.

[sicklyman]

[naturegirl321]

[nomad soul]

Apparently, it was last year. See "New Requirement for Anyone Seeking a Saudi Visa" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=103292).

[Scotty79]

Thank you all for your replies so far. I'm starting to get the picture that the Saudi immigration rules are even more unclear and subject to change than those in Korea.

I suppose I'm going to just have to send out some job applications once I've completed the MA next summer and see what happens. The reason I'm trying to get whatever info I can beforehand, is that it sounds like the application/recruitment process is quite lengthy and has to be done from one's own country. Obviously I don't want to pack up my life in Korea to kick my heels for a few months in the UK if I have no chance of finding a job with a better salary

I've seen ads that sound, shall we say, a bit less official than the direct hire jobs at the major universities, and some of those only ask for an unrelated BA and a CELTA, so is it the employers who are setting these rules or the government? If it is the latter, then how can these companies offer jobs to those with these low qualifications?

[eslteacher2014]

I'm an American who moved to saudi last September 2013.

I sent by b.a (120 hours) and my m.a (33 hours) to SACM. They took MORE than a month to respond. Eventually they authenticated my b.a but refused my m.a because 15/33 credit hours were from online classes.

At that point I was like I don't care I sent all my visa stuff with only my authenticated b.a.
Guess what my visa got approved the next day.

One of my coworkers who came a few months ago had the same EXACT problem but got his visa.

The embassy seems to be ok. I know many u.s and British teachers working out here with no degrees.

I wouldn't worry too much on the degree authentication

[nomad soul]

[sicklyman]

[cultofpersonality]

I think the post MA experience only matters to certain institutions, especially the public ones.

Some employers are not worried whether your experience is pre or post MA. It is a matter of trial and error.

Online degrees in the UK.... I know the SACB contact the university to see if your degree is legit. Some employers may ask for your degree transcript to see what you did in your degree.

[Scotty79]

Thanks all. I haven't received the definitive answer I was looking for, but it appears that a definitive answer doesn't exist!

I'll continue to keep an eye out for developments, and also look into alternative destinations. Oman springs immediately to mind as an alternative. I'm looking to clear some debt and get a bit of financial freedom, so tbh I'll go wherever pays the most. I know I'm capable of getting my head down for a year with my eye on the prize!