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Post by JeffSteiner on Apr 23, 2014 23:35:00 GMT
Got a similar "name on the door" D&N; hopeful folks overseas as well. Good to know that we are essentially on the same team.
Read something earlier about the when and where of it and whether our relocation advisors (and, btw, if you use the full name it is NOT edited) have any idea -- of course they do and OF COURSE they will not mislead you but it is possible that they will tell you to be patient and not worry. Most of us who contribute to this forum on a regular basis (and this Steiner fellow knows who you are !) know that the sputum from most of the contributors is just that -- nonsense or rhetoric -- what they have been told. There are dudes in other threads who have been told when they are going and have been given a house number! It is apparent to me (and my opinion) that there are jobs that are expedited and then there jobs similar to what I do that are not that critical; I get that it hurts boys and girls, but it isn't gonna happen just because you scream or squeak at your relocation adviser...focus, if I may, on getting your stuff together so that WHEN you get your marching orders you are so ready that it bleeds. Do it, do it now, and then, as I will, be quiet...
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cgyguy
Advanced Member
Posts: 90
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Post by cgyguy on Apr 24, 2014 0:05:59 GMT
Washingtonian,
Yes, she requested our passports, and according to her, she did this because she had my visa le :?:
In regards of the put pressure comment please read it as; send frequent emails to your Relo asking if the package was sent.
Rgds
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Post by Washingtonian on Apr 24, 2014 0:09:04 GMT
Is 'the name on the door' real?
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imax
Member
Posts: 33
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Post by imax on Apr 24, 2014 0:17:07 GMT
Guys are trying to have some fun.
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Post by David_and_Nita on Apr 24, 2014 0:43:01 GMT
I'm taking the Painter track and guessing it's normal if they request them (passports) with a visa le and it's also normal if they request them with no visa le appearing on distant radar.
On the issue of nametags on the door it seems we should be on the payroll if we already have offices and everything. Consulting / remote support - something like that.
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Post by TexasFamily4 on Apr 24, 2014 0:46:48 GMT
lots of good comments & suggestions -- I especially like the one about "remote consultants"!! A contact in my department told me a couple weeks ago that my name was showing up in their phone directory, with an anticipated arrival date of April 30th (obviously that's NOT gonna happen). And my ASC contact told me that we are all being anxiously awaited by our future co-workers and the projects are starting to get backlogged in our absence!! I got a brief note from my Relo Advisor today with similar comments, i.e. they expect something to happen in the next week or two.
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Post by Toronto2KHR on Apr 24, 2014 2:17:30 GMT
I can see our name tags out side our houses in Aramco camps soon
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Post by Parker Means on Apr 24, 2014 2:34:19 GMT
re: the discussion of Relo Advisors requesting Passports. Let me share my story. AND a WARNING. 1. During my Orientation in Houston last YEAR --yep, October 2013, my Relo Advisor (who is no longer employed at ASC btw...) wanted me to hand over my Passport to her at that time. I said no, I was hanging on to it in case I decided to go to Canada or Mexico for a visit... or whatever. Then EVERY time I would correspond with her, she would remind me "most candidates left their passports with us..." with the idea that if that precious, elusive Visa le arrives they can quickly apply for our Visa. 2. In January, after 2 of my colleagues DID leave in December, I was getting paranoid that perhaps because I had NOT given her my passport, I somehow got left behind, so I FedEx her my passport. 3. Then in early February, I was assigned a *new* Relo Advisor, since the previous one left. She promised me she would "take good care of my passport" and it was in her files for safekeeping. Up until last week, she a remarkable better Relo Advisor than her predecessor. 4. With no new Visa Block insight, and a trip planned up north to Canada, I emailed my Relo Advisor last THURSDAY to request she OVERNIGHT it to me via FedEx to my home's physical address. She quickly replied back that she had. (She's usually on top of things when it comes to email response. ) She got back to me at the end of last Thursday to remind me that since Friday was a Holiday in the US ("Good Friday") it might not go out til Monday. That wasn't a problem. I'm not flying out until tomorrow (Thursday) AM. 5. Tuesday - no Passport delivery by FedEx. 6. Wednesday (today) - no Passport delivery by FedEx. 7. I email her to inquire about the Tracking #. 8. We then have a series of phone calls informing me that the "Mail Dept" has no record of it going out via FedEx. And "oh, yours is the second Passport this week we can't find documentation that it went out. I'm filling in for another Relo Advisor and the Mail Dept can't find what happened to their passport either." What? ? The 2nd one this week?? 9. FINALLY this afternoon, it arrived--after I spent hours problem-solving a back up plan and figuring out how I would get back in to the US, it was sent by "regular mail to my PO Box." Not Priority Mail. Not certified. Just regular old US Mail.... I was so angry I could scream! How could they handle Passports so nonchalantly!! I expect something like this to happen in KSA; but not in Houston. When I asked her why she sent it just regular mail, she said she usually sends it out FedEx... SO BEWARE. If you need your Passports for travel while we wait for this elusive Visa, ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME and INSIST they SEND IT FedEx and give you a TRACKING NUMBER with FedEx. I think I'm going to request a new Relo Advisor... I can't afford another lapse of judgement on something big like making sure I actually get into KSA...
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Post by erdna_oaoj on Apr 24, 2014 6:33:00 GMT
My passport was sent in early December (still there for visa application), so I go with David_and_Nita its normal for they to request your passport even if there isn't at the moment of the request no visa le available.
I also guess that since we passed BI and have a badge number assigned we are on the payroll and have estimated arrival dates, pending on the release of the visa blocks.
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Post by BBQ10 on Apr 24, 2014 7:51:11 GMT
Well, while some names have appeared on doors, I have been informed that my name can now be spotted at the entrance of one of the major compounds. :shock: That's it...they're renaming a compound after me! :lol:
Sorry. :oops:
:lol:
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Post by ritzkool on Apr 24, 2014 9:10:07 GMT
Hi All,
Obviously, ASC Houston and AOC London are two totally different animals with regards to how they operate.
It seems that North American future Aramcons are already assigned badge numbers by ASC Houston even before they receive the visas.
Nonetheless, based on my friend's experience dealing with AOC London, their style of work is that they will usually only give everything in one shot once your visa is stamped in your passport. One e-mail that says everything - BI and medical clearance, full blessings to give notice to current employer etc.
In my case, I haven't even undergone the pre-departure orientation. As for my friend who is now already in Dhahran, he did his pre-departure orientation before he received his visa.
As some of the seasoned and experienced Aramcon moderators such as vpainter pointed out in previous comments - no two cases are the same. It all depends on your relocation advisor and his/her working style.
Mine is the silent as a stone type. He will only e-mail me when he has worthy updates and that too he will usually do it via his junior colleague because his le is Senior Relocation Representative. His junior colleague is more responsive and usually responds to my e-mails in a timely manner. Unfortunately, she has quit AOC London, hahahaha!
bless us all and hope our visa blocks will be out today! It would be so meaningful if I got mine today so that it would be a gift to my mother who celebrates her 61st birthday as we speak!
I love you mom and I will make you proud by being a full fledged Saudi Aramco staff very soon!
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Post by David_and_Nita on Apr 24, 2014 9:48:49 GMT
Comment: Residing in a compound named "BBQ area" can't be all that bad
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Post by Washingtonian on Apr 24, 2014 20:36:00 GMT
Fellows,
Something is definitely cooking. Got an update that 'they' expect les to arrive within two weeks. No guarantee that 'my' le will be in this batch though. But in a longer run, this is still helpful that visa block will (hopefully) keep rolling now.
Please keep posting what you hear...
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Post by TexasFamily4 on Apr 24, 2014 20:43:47 GMT
Yep, that's almost exactly verbatim what I heard from ASC yesterday, so I remain cautiously optimistic (although we've heard this 'line' several times before). Quick question for the group -- am going to have redo my visa medical next week, as it's almost at the 90 day expiration. I thought I heard somewhere (maybe my Relo Advisor, maybe from this forum?), that they only required the employee to re-do and NOT the spouse? However, I was just told that both of us will need to re-do it?
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Post by erdna_oaoj on Apr 24, 2014 20:54:45 GMT
You both have to redo the visa medical, since both of you are applying for visas. This time only blood tests, x-rays are valid for 6 months.
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