Before leaving Saudi, here are some reminders for OFWs
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ABS-CBNnews.com
MANILA - The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia released an advisory to all Filipinos, legal or undocumented, who want to return home to the Philippines.
The advisory, written in Filipino, explains the process and necessary documents that must be obtained by the worker.
The three-page advisory answers seven questions from documents to problems that may arise from absconding or even those who have children who are not documented.
The advisory was posted on the website of the embassy last April 20, 2013.
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Q1: What are the three things that a Filipino worker must have in order for him/her to return home?
1) A Philippine Passport (still valid for six months before its expiration date) or Travel Document in the absence of a passport.
2) An airplane ticket
3) Exit Visa from the Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI)
Exit Visas are given once the worker obtains a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from his sponsor and all the fees have been paid.
However, Filipinos who have criminal records in courts won’t be able to go home until their cases have been resolved.
Q2: Does the Saudi Arabian government have an amnesty program for illegal workers?
Based on the coordination made by the embassy, Saudi authorities are still in the process of studying the amnesty program and there is no assurance that it will be implemented.
Q3: What do workers who absconded from their employers/sponsors need to do to be able to come home?
Under the Saudi Law, those who absconded from their employers violated its Labor Law. It is the duty of the sponsor/employer to inform the Saudi General Directorate for Passports (Jawazat) within 24 hours of their worker leaving.
Absconding has a penalty of six months imprisonment, a fine of SAR 2,000.00, and deportation. Aside from this, a fine will be imposed against the worker for lost or expired iqama or residence ID. This is the public rights aspect of the case.
The private rights aspect meanwhile pertains to the penalties that must be paid to the employers if the workers failed to finish their contracts or if the employer filed a case against the OFW.
This is the reason why an OFW must first get the consent of his sponsor/employer, stating that the latter is not objecting to his desire to come home.
OFWs are also advised to get in touch with their employers to get an NOC and together, proceed directly to the Saudi General Directorate for Passports to pay the necessary fees and arrange for their travel home.
If the OFW is unable to contact the sponsor, he can seek help from the embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at the following numbers:
POLO-Riyadh 054-5917834
POLO-Eastern Region 050-1269742
POLO-Central Region 050-7537997
POLO-Jeddah 056-1956142
Assistance to Nationals - 056-9893301
(Police cases, detention, death and other emergencies)
OFWs, must at all times, provide accurate and truthful information to be assisted.
Q4: What are the documents needed in order for the embassy to assist the repatriation of an OFW who ran away from his/her sponsor?
1) A copy of their Philippine Passport, including the page where the entry visa is stamped
2) A copy of their residency permit (iqama)
Q5: How come those who already obtained an NOC from employers are still having difficulty in going home?
The possible reasons are:
1) There are still fines which need to be settled
2) The worker was already given an exit visa in the past but did not use it
3) The General Directorate for Passports is strict and wants to make sure that Filipinos will go home once they get an Exit Visa
Q6: What about those whose children are undocumented?
They need to show a Report of Birth or Birth Certificate or other documents which would show the child's birth date and the names of his/her parents
If there are no records from the hospital, a sworn statement of two disinterested persons may be executed. Forms may be obtained from the Consular Section of the embassy in Riyadh.
These are needed to process the Travel Document the child. However, this is not a guarantee that the child will soon be repatriated, especially if the parents are not married.
Under Saudi Law, there is a corresponding penalty imposed on parents who have children out of wedlock.
Q7: Can a worker from Riyadh or other provinces process his papers in Jeddah?
A worker must process his exit papers from their area. Once he obtains an NOC, he will need to get in touch with the Saudi General Directorate for Passports to pay fees and get his exit visa.
The advisory, written in Filipino, explains the process and necessary documents that must be obtained by the worker.
The three-page advisory answers seven questions from documents to problems that may arise from absconding or even those who have children who are not documented.
The advisory was posted on the website of the embassy last April 20, 2013.
==
Q1: What are the three things that a Filipino worker must have in order for him/her to return home?
1) A Philippine Passport (still valid for six months before its expiration date) or Travel Document in the absence of a passport.
2) An airplane ticket
3) Exit Visa from the Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI)
Exit Visas are given once the worker obtains a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from his sponsor and all the fees have been paid.
However, Filipinos who have criminal records in courts won’t be able to go home until their cases have been resolved.
Q2: Does the Saudi Arabian government have an amnesty program for illegal workers?
Based on the coordination made by the embassy, Saudi authorities are still in the process of studying the amnesty program and there is no assurance that it will be implemented.
Q3: What do workers who absconded from their employers/sponsors need to do to be able to come home?
Under the Saudi Law, those who absconded from their employers violated its Labor Law. It is the duty of the sponsor/employer to inform the Saudi General Directorate for Passports (Jawazat) within 24 hours of their worker leaving.
Absconding has a penalty of six months imprisonment, a fine of SAR 2,000.00, and deportation. Aside from this, a fine will be imposed against the worker for lost or expired iqama or residence ID. This is the public rights aspect of the case.
The private rights aspect meanwhile pertains to the penalties that must be paid to the employers if the workers failed to finish their contracts or if the employer filed a case against the OFW.
This is the reason why an OFW must first get the consent of his sponsor/employer, stating that the latter is not objecting to his desire to come home.
OFWs are also advised to get in touch with their employers to get an NOC and together, proceed directly to the Saudi General Directorate for Passports to pay the necessary fees and arrange for their travel home.
If the OFW is unable to contact the sponsor, he can seek help from the embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at the following numbers:
POLO-Riyadh 054-5917834
POLO-Eastern Region 050-1269742
POLO-Central Region 050-7537997
POLO-Jeddah 056-1956142
Assistance to Nationals - 056-9893301
(Police cases, detention, death and other emergencies)
OFWs, must at all times, provide accurate and truthful information to be assisted.
Q4: What are the documents needed in order for the embassy to assist the repatriation of an OFW who ran away from his/her sponsor?
1) A copy of their Philippine Passport, including the page where the entry visa is stamped
2) A copy of their residency permit (iqama)
Q5: How come those who already obtained an NOC from employers are still having difficulty in going home?
The possible reasons are:
1) There are still fines which need to be settled
2) The worker was already given an exit visa in the past but did not use it
3) The General Directorate for Passports is strict and wants to make sure that Filipinos will go home once they get an Exit Visa
Q6: What about those whose children are undocumented?
They need to show a Report of Birth or Birth Certificate or other documents which would show the child's birth date and the names of his/her parents
If there are no records from the hospital, a sworn statement of two disinterested persons may be executed. Forms may be obtained from the Consular Section of the embassy in Riyadh.
These are needed to process the Travel Document the child. However, this is not a guarantee that the child will soon be repatriated, especially if the parents are not married.
Under Saudi Law, there is a corresponding penalty imposed on parents who have children out of wedlock.
Q7: Can a worker from Riyadh or other provinces process his papers in Jeddah?
A worker must process his exit papers from their area. Once he obtains an NOC, he will need to get in touch with the Saudi General Directorate for Passports to pay fees and get his exit visa.
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