Job Discussion Forums

halebob · Joined: 03 Jun 2015 Posts: 31 Location: uk

Hi. I was wondering if anyone could advise me.

I have booked an appointment at the UK embassy as I know I have to do this first. But, what comes next?

Things here are usually long and complicated, so I'd love to be prepared and try and make it go as smoothly as possible.

Do I just need to take my passport to the embassy with me?

I have 2 months left in KSA before returning to the UK.

TIA

MI6agent · Joined: 16 Apr 2016 Posts: 87 Location: Dark Web

Your question is not clear?

Do you want to apply for the UK police clearance certificate, or the Saudi one?
If it is for the UK police certificate, then you have to apply through the website of the ACRO Criminal Records Office.
https://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

A UK police check in order to leave KSA? This is a new one, and you're the only person to mention it. Who is requesting this info?

I-forgot · Joined: 28 Jun 2015 Posts: 153 Location: Riyadh

http://life-in-saudiarabia.blogspot.com/2014/06/get-police-clearance-certificate.html#.V0HBzZC6mrU

Check out the link above. A friend did a final exit about six months ago. Her company organised it. Neddless to say, she was not a teacher.

Hope this helps.

Nomad Soul - did you ever live in Saudi? If si, what was the police certificate procedure then? These things seem to change often.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

I-forgot · Joined: 28 Jun 2015 Posts: 153 Location: Riyadh

That's correct - you don't need it in order to leave. However, it is necessary for immigration to other countries.

(I do know the US will give some flexibility with Middle Eastern countries as it is close to impossible to obtain after you have left but not all countries are as understanding).

halebob · Joined: 03 Jun 2015 Posts: 31 Location: uk

Sorry if it wasn't clear.

I am currently in KSA and will be leaving in 2 months.

I want to obtain a police check for future jobs where they may request police checks for everywhere I have lived. For example, Korea ask for this.

I understand that obtaining it once I leave is almost impossible, so I'd rather get it sorted now.

You have to go to the UK embassy in order to fill a form in to start the process. I was wondering if anyone has done this, and if so, what was the procedure after this step.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Take a look at these instructions for a Saudi Police Clearance Check.
(Disclaimer: I never requested a PCC when I left KSA, and therefore, personally can't vouch for the accuracy of this process.) Smile

izmigari · Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:13 pm Post subject:

One would think that the fact that Sowdy allowed you to escape the Kafeel system and leave the country in the first place, a "Polce Clearance Certificate" of sorts!

halebob · Joined: 03 Jun 2015 Posts: 31 Location: uk

Thanks for the link nomad soul. I'll take a look at it.
I have my appointment at the embassy next week, so if I get anymore info, I'll post here.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Get it when you are there. After leaving it would be very difficult. Find a student or Saudi colleague who has wasta at the local police station. Do it through them.

bigdurian · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:48 am Post subject:

I did it before I left last year to go on to a different job in Saudi. As others have said, it's not mandatory. However, it may be needed for future employment our immigration purposes.

The procedure is to go to your embassy, in my case British, bend over as you walk in and get prepared to be be walletraped with full British politeness.

They give you a letter with a nice wax seal on it. You then go to the police clearance centre. I did this in Riyadh, an Egyptian friend helped me as he knew where it was, but it's somewhere near Diera market behind Chop Chop Square.

They will take all your documents, iqama, passport copies etc. Photographs. They fingerprint you, you pay a fee of 35 Riyals I think, then collect it in two or three working days.

It's fairly straightforward, but best to go with an Arabic speaking friend as it is fairly busy and chaotic.

It was a waste of time for me anyway, as my new company said they would only accept it I'd I had been living in Saudi for seven years previously , which I hadn't. So I still had to go through ACRO in the UK.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Many are unaware of the need for "disclosure" when applying for jobs with children in the UK. Not sure how much credence the authorities in the Yookay would put on evidence that someone has been working in Saudi Arabia for years and has evaded detection by the authorities there.

Leno · Joined: 20 Dec 2015 Posts: 51

Someone in the know said that
it is customary for saudi sponsors to write something in the minsitry of labor system that "the foreign teacher/employee left wihtout paying the rent or he/she had a fight with/assaulted soemone or arrested for moral crime ( gender mixing/drinking) but the sponsor forgave/bailed him her out or etc.

Majority of sponsors have their way to make MOL to record these fake info in MOL system, if they didnt pay all the dues etc. and forced the foreigner to exit the country. ( e.g the sponor/employer cutting one month salary, or refausal to pay ait ticket, with soem silly excuses etc)
Some sponsors even sent the fake info from MOL system to MOI, to deport the foreigner ( but a foreigner can never find out), that means it can pose a problem for a foreigner to apply foremployment visa in GCC countries for 3 years etc.
(" deported from KSA, due to refusal to pay rent/ assaulting a colleague")

When and if that foreigner returned to Saudi Arabia on a new visa, and if the person sued the old employer for unpaid salary or etc, the old sposnor/employer would use the info etc from th Minsitry aginst the foreigner to arrest him and deport and it takes money and time for a foreigner to prove his innocence.

But Saudi Police said that " POlice certificate from KSA only records the crime (s)committed, and punished by the court, not the unconvicted ones from MOL or any other system". ( a crime was convicted, but the employer forgave the foreigner to exit the country but he/she was an offender)

Moral of the story
If someoen had been able to leave KSA peacefully, that may not mean that all was well.
there may be something in the system against him or her. Police certificate will not show it at all.
POlic certicate from KSA will be only useful if soemone has to prove that e.g. between 2010 - 2016, there was no criminal convcitions while residing in KSA, and no info sharing with the applicant's country".

If a foreigner was convicted in a foreign land, the host authority must send the info to the embassy of the offender, so it will surely go into the justice system in the offender's country".

According to GCC HR declaration, GCC countries are not allowed to deport a documented foreigner if they entered the country legally ( with visa ), and without a criminal conviction by the court"

but, many Saudi sponsors/employers ( ther lawyers or agents) manipulate the system and make it happen that " deported' in Immigration system, for their own good.
Not sure how they did it, corruption or mass racism?

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

I'm not sure what all that means.

We are talking about a new employer who might want a police report and whether to get such before one leaves Saudi just in case it might be needed.

Who gives a damn about something that someone might or might not have done and might or might not have been some obscure chargeable offense.

If it's not on the police report, it is irrelevant to the question. It is the problem of some new employer, not of an exiting teacher.

VS