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<\/span><\/div><\/div>Dear Dr. Spilchuk…<\/h6><\/div>February, 2014<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>My Story of Deportation<\/strong><\/span><\/h1><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Working as a Local-Hire in Kuwait Without a Work Visa<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cI was placed in the detention area of immigration in the Kuwaiti airport and questioned by immigration officials. I was then placed in the hands of ground services. About 9 hours later, ground services escorted me to an Al Jazeera flight and handed my passport over to the airline officials. As soon as the plane was fully boarded I was escorted to my seat and instructed not to get up until the plane landed. At that point, I would be escorted off the plane.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nSure enough, that is what happened. After all passengers had left the plane I was escorted to the door. An official from Dubai ground services escorted me to their office and to immigration for a little more questioning. They gave me a visitor’s visa and set me free. I had been detained against my will and deported without a hearing.”<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>This is my story:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2013<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>June 13:<\/strong> I entered Kuwait on a 3-month visitor’s visa. Any American can apply for a visitor’s visa upon landing. I was in Kuwait to visit. I had no intention of working. (I had worked there approx. 5 years earlier). It was late summer and Ramadan was going on so it was very difficult to get a flight. I decided to stay a little longer and pay the penalty of 2KD per day as written at the bottom of the visa. (Nowhere on the visa did it state it was a criminal offense to overstay a visa. I have known many expats who avail themselves of the ‘Pay and Stay’ visa.)<\/p>\nOct 1:<\/strong> I had been in Kuwait for about 5 months and on a whim, I decided to stay in Kuwait if I could find employment.<\/p>\nOct 10:<\/strong> I interviewed at an international school and was offered a teaching position.<\/p>\nOct 13: <\/strong>I began my employment with a provisional contract\/letter of intent. School HR officials photocopied my passport. I told them I was on an extended visitor visa. A few days later, I gave school officials approx. 80 KD to pay my penalty. The school sent the school driver to pay my fine. Nobody from the school told me the payment was not sufficient and I was still in violation. If I had been told this I would have left the country immediately. However, school officials knew I was illegal and they kept me in employment.<\/p>\nOct 24:<\/strong> The school paid for\/procured an airplane ticket for me to go to Dubai so that I could re-enter Kuwait on a new visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait for Dubai. Kuwait immigration let me pass through and they stamped my passport. Nobody told me there was a problem with my status in Kuwait.<\/p>\nOct 26:<\/strong> I left Dubai and flew into Kuwait. I visited the immigration counter and received a 3-month visitor’s visa. No problems.<\/p>\nNov 10:<\/strong> HR contacted me to report to their office to sign my new contract. I reviewed my new contract and discovered it contained significant changes to what I had been previously promised.<\/p>\nNov 14:<\/strong> I wrote an email to the Principal asking for her help and assistance in clarifying some issues in my new contract, including an insurance problem that was not what I first understood it to be.<\/p>\nNov – Jan 22,<\/strong> 2014<\/strong> I advocated strongly for myself to a variety of administrators with respect to my contract and the insurance issue which I clearly indicated to a senior administrator was a purposefully \u201cdeceptive hiring practice\u201d. By this time the school had already conceded to let me have a one-year contract, but I still had other concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2014<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>Jan 24: <\/strong>The school procured another airline ticket for me to travel to Dubai so I could come back with another 3- month visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait, my passport was stamped and immigration officials did not notify me that there was a problem with my status in the country.<\/p>\nJan 26:<\/strong> I returned to Kuwait and was told I was to be deported. While detained, I called several people from the school to ask for assistance. I was told that I was in serious trouble, with two criminal acts on the record: 1. overstaying a visa and 2. working without a visa. I was also told I had to pay for my own deportation air ticket but then the school relented and paid for the ticket and also sent me about $800+ for food and accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Reflecting on the Situation<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
February, 2014<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>My Story of Deportation<\/strong><\/span><\/h1><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Working as a Local-Hire in Kuwait Without a Work Visa<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cI was placed in the detention area of immigration in the Kuwaiti airport and questioned by immigration officials. I was then placed in the hands of ground services. About 9 hours later, ground services escorted me to an Al Jazeera flight and handed my passport over to the airline officials. As soon as the plane was fully boarded I was escorted to my seat and instructed not to get up until the plane landed. At that point, I would be escorted off the plane.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nSure enough, that is what happened. After all passengers had left the plane I was escorted to the door. An official from Dubai ground services escorted me to their office and to immigration for a little more questioning. They gave me a visitor’s visa and set me free. I had been detained against my will and deported without a hearing.”<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>This is my story:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2013<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>June 13:<\/strong> I entered Kuwait on a 3-month visitor’s visa. Any American can apply for a visitor’s visa upon landing. I was in Kuwait to visit. I had no intention of working. (I had worked there approx. 5 years earlier). It was late summer and Ramadan was going on so it was very difficult to get a flight. I decided to stay a little longer and pay the penalty of 2KD per day as written at the bottom of the visa. (Nowhere on the visa did it state it was a criminal offense to overstay a visa. I have known many expats who avail themselves of the ‘Pay and Stay’ visa.)<\/p>\nOct 1:<\/strong> I had been in Kuwait for about 5 months and on a whim, I decided to stay in Kuwait if I could find employment.<\/p>\nOct 10:<\/strong> I interviewed at an international school and was offered a teaching position.<\/p>\nOct 13: <\/strong>I began my employment with a provisional contract\/letter of intent. School HR officials photocopied my passport. I told them I was on an extended visitor visa. A few days later, I gave school officials approx. 80 KD to pay my penalty. The school sent the school driver to pay my fine. Nobody from the school told me the payment was not sufficient and I was still in violation. If I had been told this I would have left the country immediately. However, school officials knew I was illegal and they kept me in employment.<\/p>\nOct 24:<\/strong> The school paid for\/procured an airplane ticket for me to go to Dubai so that I could re-enter Kuwait on a new visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait for Dubai. Kuwait immigration let me pass through and they stamped my passport. Nobody told me there was a problem with my status in Kuwait.<\/p>\nOct 26:<\/strong> I left Dubai and flew into Kuwait. I visited the immigration counter and received a 3-month visitor’s visa. No problems.<\/p>\nNov 10:<\/strong> HR contacted me to report to their office to sign my new contract. I reviewed my new contract and discovered it contained significant changes to what I had been previously promised.<\/p>\nNov 14:<\/strong> I wrote an email to the Principal asking for her help and assistance in clarifying some issues in my new contract, including an insurance problem that was not what I first understood it to be.<\/p>\nNov – Jan 22,<\/strong> 2014<\/strong> I advocated strongly for myself to a variety of administrators with respect to my contract and the insurance issue which I clearly indicated to a senior administrator was a purposefully \u201cdeceptive hiring practice\u201d. By this time the school had already conceded to let me have a one-year contract, but I still had other concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2014<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>Jan 24: <\/strong>The school procured another airline ticket for me to travel to Dubai so I could come back with another 3- month visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait, my passport was stamped and immigration officials did not notify me that there was a problem with my status in the country.<\/p>\nJan 26:<\/strong> I returned to Kuwait and was told I was to be deported. While detained, I called several people from the school to ask for assistance. I was told that I was in serious trouble, with two criminal acts on the record: 1. overstaying a visa and 2. working without a visa. I was also told I had to pay for my own deportation air ticket but then the school relented and paid for the ticket and also sent me about $800+ for food and accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Reflecting on the Situation<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
My Story of Deportation<\/strong><\/span><\/h1><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Working as a Local-Hire in Kuwait Without a Work Visa<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cI was placed in the detention area of immigration in the Kuwaiti airport and questioned by immigration officials. I was then placed in the hands of ground services. About 9 hours later, ground services escorted me to an Al Jazeera flight and handed my passport over to the airline officials. As soon as the plane was fully boarded I was escorted to my seat and instructed not to get up until the plane landed. At that point, I would be escorted off the plane.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nSure enough, that is what happened. After all passengers had left the plane I was escorted to the door. An official from Dubai ground services escorted me to their office and to immigration for a little more questioning. They gave me a visitor’s visa and set me free. I had been detained against my will and deported without a hearing.”<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>This is my story:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2013<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>June 13:<\/strong> I entered Kuwait on a 3-month visitor’s visa. Any American can apply for a visitor’s visa upon landing. I was in Kuwait to visit. I had no intention of working. (I had worked there approx. 5 years earlier). It was late summer and Ramadan was going on so it was very difficult to get a flight. I decided to stay a little longer and pay the penalty of 2KD per day as written at the bottom of the visa. (Nowhere on the visa did it state it was a criminal offense to overstay a visa. I have known many expats who avail themselves of the ‘Pay and Stay’ visa.)<\/p>\nOct 1:<\/strong> I had been in Kuwait for about 5 months and on a whim, I decided to stay in Kuwait if I could find employment.<\/p>\nOct 10:<\/strong> I interviewed at an international school and was offered a teaching position.<\/p>\nOct 13: <\/strong>I began my employment with a provisional contract\/letter of intent. School HR officials photocopied my passport. I told them I was on an extended visitor visa. A few days later, I gave school officials approx. 80 KD to pay my penalty. The school sent the school driver to pay my fine. Nobody from the school told me the payment was not sufficient and I was still in violation. If I had been told this I would have left the country immediately. However, school officials knew I was illegal and they kept me in employment.<\/p>\nOct 24:<\/strong> The school paid for\/procured an airplane ticket for me to go to Dubai so that I could re-enter Kuwait on a new visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait for Dubai. Kuwait immigration let me pass through and they stamped my passport. Nobody told me there was a problem with my status in Kuwait.<\/p>\nOct 26:<\/strong> I left Dubai and flew into Kuwait. I visited the immigration counter and received a 3-month visitor’s visa. No problems.<\/p>\nNov 10:<\/strong> HR contacted me to report to their office to sign my new contract. I reviewed my new contract and discovered it contained significant changes to what I had been previously promised.<\/p>\nNov 14:<\/strong> I wrote an email to the Principal asking for her help and assistance in clarifying some issues in my new contract, including an insurance problem that was not what I first understood it to be.<\/p>\nNov – Jan 22,<\/strong> 2014<\/strong> I advocated strongly for myself to a variety of administrators with respect to my contract and the insurance issue which I clearly indicated to a senior administrator was a purposefully \u201cdeceptive hiring practice\u201d. By this time the school had already conceded to let me have a one-year contract, but I still had other concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2014<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>Jan 24: <\/strong>The school procured another airline ticket for me to travel to Dubai so I could come back with another 3- month visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait, my passport was stamped and immigration officials did not notify me that there was a problem with my status in the country.<\/p>\nJan 26:<\/strong> I returned to Kuwait and was told I was to be deported. While detained, I called several people from the school to ask for assistance. I was told that I was in serious trouble, with two criminal acts on the record: 1. overstaying a visa and 2. working without a visa. I was also told I had to pay for my own deportation air ticket but then the school relented and paid for the ticket and also sent me about $800+ for food and accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Reflecting on the Situation<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
Working as a Local-Hire in Kuwait Without a Work Visa<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cI was placed in the detention area of immigration in the Kuwaiti airport and questioned by immigration officials. I was then placed in the hands of ground services. About 9 hours later, ground services escorted me to an Al Jazeera flight and handed my passport over to the airline officials. As soon as the plane was fully boarded I was escorted to my seat and instructed not to get up until the plane landed. At that point, I would be escorted off the plane.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nSure enough, that is what happened. After all passengers had left the plane I was escorted to the door. An official from Dubai ground services escorted me to their office and to immigration for a little more questioning. They gave me a visitor’s visa and set me free. I had been detained against my will and deported without a hearing.”<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>This is my story:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2013<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>June 13:<\/strong> I entered Kuwait on a 3-month visitor’s visa. Any American can apply for a visitor’s visa upon landing. I was in Kuwait to visit. I had no intention of working. (I had worked there approx. 5 years earlier). It was late summer and Ramadan was going on so it was very difficult to get a flight. I decided to stay a little longer and pay the penalty of 2KD per day as written at the bottom of the visa. (Nowhere on the visa did it state it was a criminal offense to overstay a visa. I have known many expats who avail themselves of the ‘Pay and Stay’ visa.)<\/p>\nOct 1:<\/strong> I had been in Kuwait for about 5 months and on a whim, I decided to stay in Kuwait if I could find employment.<\/p>\nOct 10:<\/strong> I interviewed at an international school and was offered a teaching position.<\/p>\nOct 13: <\/strong>I began my employment with a provisional contract\/letter of intent. School HR officials photocopied my passport. I told them I was on an extended visitor visa. A few days later, I gave school officials approx. 80 KD to pay my penalty. The school sent the school driver to pay my fine. Nobody from the school told me the payment was not sufficient and I was still in violation. If I had been told this I would have left the country immediately. However, school officials knew I was illegal and they kept me in employment.<\/p>\nOct 24:<\/strong> The school paid for\/procured an airplane ticket for me to go to Dubai so that I could re-enter Kuwait on a new visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait for Dubai. Kuwait immigration let me pass through and they stamped my passport. Nobody told me there was a problem with my status in Kuwait.<\/p>\nOct 26:<\/strong> I left Dubai and flew into Kuwait. I visited the immigration counter and received a 3-month visitor’s visa. No problems.<\/p>\nNov 10:<\/strong> HR contacted me to report to their office to sign my new contract. I reviewed my new contract and discovered it contained significant changes to what I had been previously promised.<\/p>\nNov 14:<\/strong> I wrote an email to the Principal asking for her help and assistance in clarifying some issues in my new contract, including an insurance problem that was not what I first understood it to be.<\/p>\nNov – Jan 22,<\/strong> 2014<\/strong> I advocated strongly for myself to a variety of administrators with respect to my contract and the insurance issue which I clearly indicated to a senior administrator was a purposefully \u201cdeceptive hiring practice\u201d. By this time the school had already conceded to let me have a one-year contract, but I still had other concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2014<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>Jan 24: <\/strong>The school procured another airline ticket for me to travel to Dubai so I could come back with another 3- month visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait, my passport was stamped and immigration officials did not notify me that there was a problem with my status in the country.<\/p>\nJan 26:<\/strong> I returned to Kuwait and was told I was to be deported. While detained, I called several people from the school to ask for assistance. I was told that I was in serious trouble, with two criminal acts on the record: 1. overstaying a visa and 2. working without a visa. I was also told I had to pay for my own deportation air ticket but then the school relented and paid for the ticket and also sent me about $800+ for food and accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Reflecting on the Situation<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
\u201cI was placed in the detention area of immigration in the Kuwaiti airport and questioned by immigration officials. I was then placed in the hands of ground services. About 9 hours later, ground services escorted me to an Al Jazeera flight and handed my passport over to the airline officials. As soon as the plane was fully boarded I was escorted to my seat and instructed not to get up until the plane landed. At that point, I would be escorted off the plane.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Sure enough, that is what happened. After all passengers had left the plane I was escorted to the door. An official from Dubai ground services escorted me to their office and to immigration for a little more questioning. They gave me a visitor’s visa and set me free. I had been detained against my will and deported without a hearing.”<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div> June 13:<\/strong> I entered Kuwait on a 3-month visitor’s visa. Any American can apply for a visitor’s visa upon landing. I was in Kuwait to visit. I had no intention of working. (I had worked there approx. 5 years earlier). It was late summer and Ramadan was going on so it was very difficult to get a flight. I decided to stay a little longer and pay the penalty of 2KD per day as written at the bottom of the visa. (Nowhere on the visa did it state it was a criminal offense to overstay a visa. I have known many expats who avail themselves of the ‘Pay and Stay’ visa.)<\/p>\n Oct 1:<\/strong> I had been in Kuwait for about 5 months and on a whim, I decided to stay in Kuwait if I could find employment.<\/p>\n Oct 10:<\/strong> I interviewed at an international school and was offered a teaching position.<\/p>\n Oct 13: <\/strong>I began my employment with a provisional contract\/letter of intent. School HR officials photocopied my passport. I told them I was on an extended visitor visa. A few days later, I gave school officials approx. 80 KD to pay my penalty. The school sent the school driver to pay my fine. Nobody from the school told me the payment was not sufficient and I was still in violation. If I had been told this I would have left the country immediately. However, school officials knew I was illegal and they kept me in employment.<\/p>\n Oct 24:<\/strong> The school paid for\/procured an airplane ticket for me to go to Dubai so that I could re-enter Kuwait on a new visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait for Dubai. Kuwait immigration let me pass through and they stamped my passport. Nobody told me there was a problem with my status in Kuwait.<\/p>\n Oct 26:<\/strong> I left Dubai and flew into Kuwait. I visited the immigration counter and received a 3-month visitor’s visa. No problems.<\/p>\n Nov 10:<\/strong> HR contacted me to report to their office to sign my new contract. I reviewed my new contract and discovered it contained significant changes to what I had been previously promised.<\/p>\n Nov 14:<\/strong> I wrote an email to the Principal asking for her help and assistance in clarifying some issues in my new contract, including an insurance problem that was not what I first understood it to be.<\/p>\n Nov – Jan 22,<\/strong> 2014<\/strong> I advocated strongly for myself to a variety of administrators with respect to my contract and the insurance issue which I clearly indicated to a senior administrator was a purposefully \u201cdeceptive hiring practice\u201d. By this time the school had already conceded to let me have a one-year contract, but I still had other concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div> Jan 24: <\/strong>The school procured another airline ticket for me to travel to Dubai so I could come back with another 3- month visitor’s visa. I left Kuwait, my passport was stamped and immigration officials did not notify me that there was a problem with my status in the country.<\/p>\n Jan 26:<\/strong> I returned to Kuwait and was told I was to be deported. While detained, I called several people from the school to ask for assistance. I was told that I was in serious trouble, with two criminal acts on the record: 1. overstaying a visa and 2. working without a visa. I was also told I had to pay for my own deportation air ticket but then the school relented and paid for the ticket and also sent me about $800+ for food and accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>This is my story:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2><\/h2><\/div>
2013<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>
2014<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/h3><\/div>
Reflecting on the Situation<\/h2><\/h2><\/div>