Job Discussion Forums

[Sweaty Ted]

I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I was told by the visa agency in charge of helping me with getting my Saudi work visa that I would need a letter from the police attesting that I am not a criminal. Well, that's easy enough as I have never been arrested. Upon going to the police dept. today they told me that they could only issue a local statement, (i.e., a letter saying that I haven't gotten into any trouble in Phoenix since I moved here eight years ago). Um, here's the problem: I have lived in NYC, Las Vegas, Chicago, Phoenix, Ireland, Australia, South Korea and France. What does Saudi want, an exhaustive list of police reports from every place I have ever lived or just my local constabulary? I am confused. If local, it's feasible. If I have to contact the FBI, the letter won't arrive until after I am supposed to start teaching on 8/25/12.

Can anyone help? Thanks.

[johnslat]

Dear Sweaty Ted,

Go local - it worked for me.

Regards,
John

[Sweaty Ted]

Thank you. I will go to the Tempe Police Dept. tomorrow and see if they can get it for me. I am still concerned as King Khalid University has not replied to any of my e-mails for over three weeks now.

[HystericalHoosier]

You would not be able to get a FBI check in time. It seems any official looking paper works. In reality I don't think the saudis have any written guidance in this matter

[scot47]

Saudis generally have a pretty poor geopolitical awareness. Chances are they do not know the difference. I had one Saudi student who was born in the US. "I wa born in Washington," he said. "State or DC ?" I asked. He had no idea of what I was talking about !

[al-Californian]

[veiledsentiments]

Lots of Saudis were born in the US because their parents were studying at universities there. Most of them returned home before starting school and likely have only been back for short visits.

VS

[al-Californian]

Hmmmn, let me get this straight, their parents had their rendezvous here and the kid just by being born here is American without having lived on this soil and paid his dues as I have? LAME

[veiledsentiments]

Where have you been? This has always been the law of the land. Anyone who is born in the US is eligible for citizenship.

Haven't you been listening to all the whinging about "anchor babies"?

VS

[al-Californian]

[johnslat]

Dear al-Californian,

The US is not alone in this:

Jus soli is observed by a minority of the world's countries. Of advanced economies (as defined by the International Monetary Fund), Canada and the United States are the only countries that observe birthright citizenship. As is shown clearly on the map, the jus soli is mainly in use in �the new world� � the Americas. Since 2004, no European country grants unconditional birthright citizenship.

In an August 2010 report, the Center for Immigration Studies, through direct communication with foreign government officials and analysis of relevant foreign law including statutory and constitutional law, was able to confirm that 30 of the world's 194 countries grant automatic birthright citizenship (although they were not able to obtain definitive information from 19 countries).


For a list and map, please use the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

I see zero relationship to this law and our national debt. That debt number is mainly related to the national obsession with wars and an Imperial military and a wealthy class that wants all the benefits of capitalism, but not pay the taxes to support it.

VS

[al-Californian]

I have met "anchor babies" that certainly take from the resources that resident Americans do. Don't you think our tax dollars pay for the tuition of returning anchor babies for the purpose of higher education? In California they spend one year for residency to qualify for the Pell grant, tuition waivers, even scholarships(!), and are only asked to pay student fees, but international students(anchor less) babies two or three times more than them.

[Grendal]

According to my records you have no criminal convictions here in Toronto Sweaty Ted. So I hope this helps. The Saudis should accept this. You should see some of the trailer park boys (and girls) that make it to their final destination. I am in no way talking between the lines here. Do not misunderstand me. I mean I've seen some real wackos here and this is the point I'm trying to make, get your local criminal check that will suffice like John says.

Grendal

[johnslat]

Dear al-Californian,

And those so-called "anchor babies" are citizens, same as you and me. So, what's the problem (where's the beef?) They're going to be paying taxes, too, same as you.

Actually, insofar as it can be determined, even most illegals pay taxes:

"While many Americans believe illegal immigrants don't pay taxes, billions of dollars deducted from paychecks issued to undocumented workers flow to the Social Security Administration (SSA) every year. Those workers almost certainly will never see that money again.

Social Security officials keep a record of wages that do not match up with real names and numbers in their system. The record is called the earnings suspense file.

In 2009, the last year for which figures are available, employers reported wages of $72.8 billion for 7.7 million workers who could not be matched to legal Social Security numbers.

That total hit a record $90.4 billion, earned by 10.8 million workers, in 2007, just before the recession. Some of those were legal workers who simply made paperwork mistakes, but the majority are believed to be illegal immigrants.

Because those wages were reported by employers and not paid under the table, Social Security and Medicare deductions had to be made. A total of 12.4 percent of those wages went into the SSA system � 6.2 percent paid each by the worker and the employer. An additional 2.9 percent was paid into Medicare, half by the worker and half by the employer.

That means about $11.2 billion went into the Social Security Trust Fund in 2007, and $2.6 billion went into Medicare. While that money will be used to pay retirees and health-care beneficiaries, it most likely will never be claimed by the illegal immigrants who contributed it.

Since the 2010 passage of a payroll-tax cut � which Congress on Friday extended through February � workers have paid 4.2 percent to Social Security instead of 6.2 percent.

"When you hear people voicing anti-immigrant sentiments, one of the first things they say is, 'They don't pay any taxes, and they just take money out of the system,' " said Jeannie Economos of the Farmworker Association Florida, based in Apopka, Fla. "But that just isn't true. Yes, some are paid under the table, but the majority are paid by check, and they pay taxes out of those checks."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017113852_immigtaxes29.html

Oops, I forgot - you're NOT going to be paying taxes as long as you're teaching in Saudi. Good thing those "anchor babies" and "undocumented aliens" are going to be taking up the slack, isn't it?


Regards,
John