Dear All,
I recently returned to my school without a visa. Citizens of my country need a visa to enter. My school lied to me and said a certain document granted me entrance without a visa. Long story short that was a lie and a false stamp was put in my passport to facilitate me returning before my Visa expired without my knowledge. I am very unhappy about this. But everyone else thinks it is no big deal. I'm still illegal in this country, which is falling apart. I've given a deadline of October, 5 months, to sort it or I leave. I feel like I'm in the looking Glass. I've been all around the world and never had someone decide for me to break the law. I entered and passport put a false stamp in my passport, but I really didn't know it would happen. Now I'm here. What to do?
Thanks
Visa fraud
Re: Visa fraud
Which country?
South or Central America?
South or Central America?
Response
Im guessing Venezuela, and more like 5 weeks not months.
What do you want to do? There are really two options, either pretend its not a big deal and move on with your life and your job and accept the risk that come down the track, or execute your exit strategy. If your IS could get legal visas they would have, could you claim innocence if it ever becomes an issue, sure, but my experience is that countries in those stages of falling apart, are probably going to use whatever violation or infraction this is to get your country of citizenship to make a deal to get you home, thats some pain and some risk. The other option is, again, exit strategy. You should sit down and plan out what that strategy is and your options if you have not already done so.
What do you want to do? There are really two options, either pretend its not a big deal and move on with your life and your job and accept the risk that come down the track, or execute your exit strategy. If your IS could get legal visas they would have, could you claim innocence if it ever becomes an issue, sure, but my experience is that countries in those stages of falling apart, are probably going to use whatever violation or infraction this is to get your country of citizenship to make a deal to get you home, thats some pain and some risk. The other option is, again, exit strategy. You should sit down and plan out what that strategy is and your options if you have not already done so.
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Thames Pirate
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:06 am
Re: Visa fraud
I agree--take the risk of staying, or leave. If you wish to leave, your choices are to leave and pretend it never happened or to go to your embassy in country and hope they can sort it out and get you out (they can, but you might be stuck inside the embassy or something else weird). If you are worried about the false stamp hindering renewal, this is the better option.
Personally, I would leave. And my first stop will be my embassy.
I have ZERO tolerance for this type of BS.
Personally, I would leave. And my first stop will be my embassy.
I have ZERO tolerance for this type of BS.
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Lastname_Z
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 12:17 pm
Re: Visa fraud
I have colleagues with this kind of experience. It doesn't end well if you wait till they kick you out.
Leave, figure something out until another teaching job comes along.
Being kicked out of a country (regardless of whether it's your fault) can hinder your ability to get work visas in other countries, which will make it hard for you to get employed by some schools.
Leave, figure something out until another teaching job comes along.
Being kicked out of a country (regardless of whether it's your fault) can hinder your ability to get work visas in other countries, which will make it hard for you to get employed by some schools.
Discussion
@Amazon
I would strongly suggest sitting down and formulating your exit strategy. You want two routes a "short" plan and a "long" plan. The "short" plan is what do you do if you have to leave now. Your IT friend texts you that IT X just got arrested at their apartment and LE is rounding up the ITs for immigration violations. Whats your exit plan? You want a go bag and be out the door to wherever (embassy, train station, park, 24 hr cafe, etc.) before you can move to your debarkation point, in less than 5 minutes if you feel the heat coming around the corner. The 'long" plan is what you do when you can exit on your terms. You wrote youd give it 5 weeks to October, okay, what are you doing for the next 5 weeks? What are your job options, can you reasonably get another IT appointment still? Can you teach ESOL somewhere relatively close by (or cheap)? Do you have the savings to go somewhere (cheap) on a sabbatical and sit on a beach? Do you have family or friends you can stay with until you get another job in IE? Do you have DE options if you move back to your HOR? Sit down list your options and then plan how you would execute those options. Those options will give you a basis of comparison for what would be staying. It might be that this is really nothing to worry about, that the country is so deep in shambles some ITs on fake visas (which your IS might be taking care of through bribes, or taking care of behind the scenes) might really not be a problem, and if it does become a problem it might be long after you have already left under conventional terms. Which might be a lot better if you need the coin because your exit strategy being broke with nothing and no prospects.
I would strongly suggest sitting down and formulating your exit strategy. You want two routes a "short" plan and a "long" plan. The "short" plan is what do you do if you have to leave now. Your IT friend texts you that IT X just got arrested at their apartment and LE is rounding up the ITs for immigration violations. Whats your exit plan? You want a go bag and be out the door to wherever (embassy, train station, park, 24 hr cafe, etc.) before you can move to your debarkation point, in less than 5 minutes if you feel the heat coming around the corner. The 'long" plan is what you do when you can exit on your terms. You wrote youd give it 5 weeks to October, okay, what are you doing for the next 5 weeks? What are your job options, can you reasonably get another IT appointment still? Can you teach ESOL somewhere relatively close by (or cheap)? Do you have the savings to go somewhere (cheap) on a sabbatical and sit on a beach? Do you have family or friends you can stay with until you get another job in IE? Do you have DE options if you move back to your HOR? Sit down list your options and then plan how you would execute those options. Those options will give you a basis of comparison for what would be staying. It might be that this is really nothing to worry about, that the country is so deep in shambles some ITs on fake visas (which your IS might be taking care of through bribes, or taking care of behind the scenes) might really not be a problem, and if it does become a problem it might be long after you have already left under conventional terms. Which might be a lot better if you need the coin because your exit strategy being broke with nothing and no prospects.
Re: Visa fraud
Trust your gut.
You do not have a union to protect you.
The school will not hire lawyers on your behalf to protect you.
This situation will not get better!
LEAVE!
You do not have a union to protect you.
The school will not hire lawyers on your behalf to protect you.
This situation will not get better!
LEAVE!