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Alyosha
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: KSA
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 Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:47 am Post subject: Passports and Exit Visas |
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If you are thinking about coming to work in Saudi Arabia you may want to know that you may not travel freely too and from this country.
Many employers hold their employees' passports. You will have no choice in the matter. In addition, even if your employer does not hold your passport, you will need to get an exit visa from him/her in order to leave the country.
I did not know this before coming, and I did not find any information about the matter here.
Has anyone on the forum ever had a problem with this or had/wanted to leave before finishing a contract?
How many Saudi employers hold their employees passports? |
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Marquess
Joined: 05 Feb 2009
Posts: 165
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:57 am Post subject: |
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Yes
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| How many Saudi employers hold their employees passports? |
According to Saudi law, your sponsor is required to have either your passport OR your igama in their possession at all times. However, employers vary in how strictly they enforce this rule. Some will give you your passport in return for you relinquishing your igama before you depart on a trip abroad, and on your return, will only give you back your igama if you hand in your passport. Other employers, however, are more relaxed and don't really care if you keep your passport and your igama.
Similarly, some employers will only give single exit-reentry visas, though in my experience most will agree to give you multiple exit-rentry visas. |
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Alyosha
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:23 am Post subject: |
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| Be forewarned then, huh? |
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Markemark
Joined: 08 Jun 2009
Posts: 82
Location: ksa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:40 am Post subject: |
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What's the minimim notice period? It varies from a disgusting 6 months with IH to something like 30 days-3 months with everyone else.
Like the French Foreign Legion, IH and others allow you to 'buy your way out.' This is little more than a shakedown where the accountant blasts you with anything he feels like. The aim is economic intimidation this time to cower you back to work. Guys are offered the get out of jail card, here's the crunch, the way they add it up at Ih came to in one case i know of to $,11,000 and in another case- $9,448.
And then they let you go. |
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isabel
Joined: 07 Mar 2003
Posts: 510
Location: God's green earth
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Markemark wrote: |
What's the minimim notice period? It varies from a disgusting 6 months with IH to something like 30 days-3 months with everyone else.
Like the French Foreign Legion, IH and others allow you to 'buy your way out.' This is little more than a shakedown where the accountant blasts you with anything he feels like. The aim is economic intimidation this time to cower you back to work. Guys are offered the get out of jail card, here's the crunch, the way they add it up at Ih came to in one case i know of to $,11,000 and in another case- $9,448.
And then they let you go. |
I know one guy who had an exit visa which was cancelled before he hit the border, and he had to "pay" $6000 U.S. to get out. There is a rather random, punitive nature to who they demand money from. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| For most decent, third level institution, the notice period varies from between 1 month to 3 or even 4 months. I would say 3 months is the most usual. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:21 pm Post subject: Re: Passports and Exit Visas |
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| Alyosha wrote: |
I did not know this before coming, and I did not find any information about the matter here.
Has anyone on the forum ever had a problem with this or had/wanted to leave before finishing a contract?
How many Saudi employers hold their employees passports? |
This topic has been discussed on this board repeatedly and regularly since it began back in the 90s. It comes up at least once a week if not more. I'm not clear how anyone who did even a cursory reading here before taking employment could have missed it.  Of course it tends to come up within threads as people discuss the problems with their own employers. This is one of the reasons that I am always recommending new people spend a few hours or... days... reading as many threads here as possible before employment.
VS |
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Alyosha
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject: Search function |
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| It comes up at least once a week if not more. I'm not clear how anyone who did even a cursory reading here before taking employment could have missed it. |
You might assume good faith. I did search on the term "passport", but I did not find anything obviously addressing this topic in the immediate results.
You have been using the forum for a long time, and therefore you know where to find things and what to look for. Most newcomers to Saudi Arabia will not have been using the Saudi forum long and will not know what to expect or what problems to look for.
I think this thread will improve your search results. Many people find work here without ever having heard of Dave's cafe. For those who have heard of the forum, a little extra discussion - of what i believe to be essential information - will help some. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:18 am Post subject: |
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As I said, this is why I tell people to spend a lot of time reading the threads. If one is moving to a new and unknown country, a few days spent reading on this board is worth the investment.
The search option doesn't always work very well. One of the times that it doesn't seem to work well is when you search for something that has a gazillion mentions. (another very common question is about "washing" the passport to get a new employer) So, if you put in "passport" there are so many hits that it often kills the search mechanism - you end up with a white screen. Which means that future people doing a search may have the same problem even with the word in the title. 
Seriously, this comes up constantly because the holding of the passport is a major well-known issue with Saudi Arabia. And... Qatar also requires exit visas, as did the university in Kuwait, but not private employers. There are none in the Emirates or Oman. Some private employers in the UAE and Oman hold passports, but only a few are in education.
VS |
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