Will Saudi Employer Create Problems?

[mech]

Hi friends,

I have a question for all saudi expats out there.

I have applied for Canadian immigration and waiting for medicals. I am based in Pakistan Now I got a job offer from Saudi Arabia. my questions are:

1- If i go to Saudi Arabia, will my employer release me if i get canada visa in let's say 6 months?
2- as in KSA, employer hold the passport, will I need passport for the medicals in KSA?
3- Is there any chance employer will refuse to return my passport when i need to send it for visa stamp?

your quick response will be highly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Abu Hassaan]

Dear mech,

Though I am not a Saudi Expat but I believe that labor laws are kind of similar in whole middle east. I can tell you that employer can't hold employee's passport without their will. It is not allowed as per labor law but still companies are holding passports of their employees without their will. Employees are normally bearing this to keep working with their employer in normal relationship.

I had similar experience with my previous employer in UAE. But whenever I required my passport for any personal reason, employer had to handover the passport to me. After finishing the task, I had to deposit my passport back to the employer again. It is not same with my current employer which is a multinational organization. They don't ask their employees to submit their passport under their control. I would say, it depends who is your employer and what kind of relationship exists betwnee the employer and the employee.

Now coming back to your questions, I would suggest you following:

1. No employer can stop any employee without their will. You need to be carefull when you sign your contract. It shouldn't have any clause which bound you to work unless they find another employee who can replace you. Normally, employee can leave the job with immediate notice during probation period and with one to three month notice after probation period. You just need to be carefull when signing your contract with your employer in Saudi.

2. Legally, the employer can't hold passports of their employee but if this is the case, they nomrally handover the passports to the employees if employee requires their passport for certain personal needs. Employee has to be intelligent enough to give a valid and non-alertive reason to get the passport for his employer. This might not be the case if employee is working as labor or technician or low level designation.

3. Again, a valid and non-alertive reason would compel employer to handover the passport to the employee for a short period of time.

On a personal note, I would not recommend you to work for such an employer who might behave the way you are describing.

Hi friends,

I have a question for all saudi expats out there.

I have applied for Canadian immigration and waiting for medicals. I am based in Pakistan Now I got a job offer from Saudi Arabia. my questions are:

1- If i go to Saudi Arabia, will my employer release me if i get canada visa in let's say 6 months?
2- as in KSA, employer hold the passport, will I need passport for the medicals in KSA?
3- Is there any chance employer will refuse to return my passport when i need to send it for visa stamp?

your quick response will be highly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[rawdah]

Hi friends,

I have a question for all saudi expats out there.

I have applied for Canadian immigration and waiting for medicals. I am based in Pakistan Now I got a job offer from Saudi Arabia. my questions are:

1- If i go to Saudi Arabia, will my employer release me if i get canada visa in let's say 6 months?
2- as in KSA, employer hold the passport, will I need passport for the medicals in KSA?
3- Is there any chance employer will refuse to return my passport when i need to send it for visa stamp?

your quick response will be highly appreciated.
Thanks

It's true that most of the companies in Saudi Arabia hold their expat employees passport.

You should familiarise yourself with the work culture of your company and know on what all excuses they can give you your PP.

For medicals only passport copy is required in Saudi.

 

[fkk]

1. Having worked in Saudia, I know for a fact that most of the Companies hold employees' passports and release only during vacation/travel days.

2. If you are in a senior position and have good relations with your local (Saudi) immediate boss, he may be able to get your passport released, when required.

3. However, the good relations (in point 2 above) are purely of professional interest and the moment local boss learns that you are planning to move to Canada, the good relations might not be there any more.

4. I am not competent to confirm whether original passports shall be required at the time of medicals in KSA or not. Get this confirmation by calling at least three (3) KSA panel physicians listed on cic website.

5. In case a passport copy is enough for medicals in KSA - go ahead and join. Let the medicals be on passport copies.

6. When the process is at the final stage and you receive a passport request, apply for leaves, take the passports, travel and deliver it in person to london visa office. It will be a two week stay there before you get back your passports. Needless to say that post-medical, you should apply/obtain a UK visa from UK embassy in KSA immediately. Better still, apply/obtain it while you are still in Pakistan. It is valid for 5 years.

7. The only risk in above plan is whether your employer will allow your vacation during the thirty (30) days given for passport request.

8. Keeping in view the uncertainty of wait period till medicals and even after that, I or anyone else, will not advise you to let go a job offer in KSA.

9. Your best bet will be, as the previous reply stated, to investigate about the employing company culture, reassess the time lapsed since last update in your case and take an informed decision - which you should never regret later on.

Best of luck!

 

[mech]

Thanks everyone for such a detailed replies.

You help is highly appreciated.