Visa Crisis!

A month ago I turned our passports in to get multiple entry / exit visas for all of us and paid for them (the multiple allows us to leave the Kingdom when we want to). Before our visas could get processed the Kingdom deemed that all male foreign workers had to get fingerprinted and photographed. My company told me that I had plenty of time to do this before I went on vacation. However, I told them I wanted it done sooner rather than later. The company arranged for 6 of us to get our fingerprints and photos done…no problem.
I submitted my request again for the multiple visas and got them two weeks before our vacation date. But I noticed something…one visa had Timothy Dukes and then at the bottom had Timmie’s name. No problem my site office told me since this was the new way of doing things..the father and children were on the same visa. Ok…they know the rules not me.
The night before vacation I decided to check the web site to make sure all was ok. I was prompted to do this. I typed in my passport number and visa….nothing…again….nothing. Hmmm. I typed in Timmie’s passport number and visa..he has one. I type in Laurie’s…she has one. Now I panic. We’ve paid a lot for this vacation. I want to travel with my family. I start making phone calls.
The first phone calls went to the manager of our site office. He doesn’t answer. Then I call his assistant. No answer.
The next phone call was to the American HR guy this is supposed to take care of us. No answer. I go to his villa..the car is gone. I go to the restaurant..he’s not there. I do see another HR person from another company. Ron tells me to go to the airport and see if I have a visa and if not see what they can do for me.
I rush home. We get a babysitter for Timmie and Laurie and I rush out the door. We’re both in a panic and we’re not hiding it.
We get to the airport and find the office. I talk to a very nice man. He looks me up in the computer…nothing. He listens to my story but tells me there is nothing he can do. I’m told that someone from my company has to handle the problem. I call the General I work for.
The General asks to speak the guy at the airport. Then the General asks me for a phone number to anyone in the company. I give him Faisal’s number. Five minutes later the General calls me and tells me that Faisal will be calling me. How the General got Faisal to answer the phone..well I’m glad he did.
I call Faisal. Faisal tells me that he’ll meet me at the compound. SO Laurie and I rush back to the Compound. Faisal isn’t waiting. I call him. His car battery died and he had to call his cousin to come and give him a jump. Ok..I’ll just wait.
Faisal finally shows up around 1000pm—yes pm. This all started around 4pm and our flight leaves at 745am and we’re going to be at the airport at 0530am. The clock is ticking and I’m a nervous wreck..but smiling and pretending that all is ok and will all work out…inshallah.
Faisal is talking on the phone and then hands me the phone. I’m talking to our government relations person Mohammed..I don’t know what a GR is or does but if he can get me a visa I don’t care.
Mohammed tells me that it’s impossible to get a multiple visa BUT he can get me a single entry. I tell him that’s what I want and will worry about the multiple later. Mohammed tells me to give him an hour..that’ll be 1145pm. I go back to the villa.
Lots of prayers from me, Laurie and Timmie (“Dad I hope you get to come with us”..with tears in his eyes). At 1145pm Mohammed calls me and tells me that he has the visa for me and will bring it to the compound. At midnight he shows up with the visa.
Mohammed tells me that the company made the mistake. I paid for a multiple and didn’t get it. He promises that when I come back and apply for a multiple that I’ll get it no problem.
I am exhausted, happy, elated and irritated (irritated that the Americans that are supposed to take care us failed to). I can’t sleep but I do nap on and off. I hear the morning prayers and we all get up.
The van picks us up at 0500…right on schedule. I tip him very generously. We get to the British Airways counter and check in with no problem.
The flights were crowed, long and tiring. The food was excellent and so was the service. When we arrived in Atlanta and got to baggage there was Dad and Myrna with happy smiles. I’m glad to be in the US!
As I look back I’m also glad that Saudi Arabia has an office open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to handle these types of crisis. AND I’m very glad that I thought to call my General and then action started happening. We love being in Saudi and now we have our own visa crisis story..but I don’t want to go through that again!