# Transcript Translation and Work Permit Questions



## American_Girl (Jun 28, 2011)

The school I’ve been hired to teach at is requiring me to get an official translated (into Arabic) copy of my university transcript. They told me there were places to get this done, but didn’t mention anywhere specific. Has anyone else had to do this? And if so, where did you go and about how much did you pay?

Also, does anyone have any experience obtaining a work permit? I was told by the woman in the HR department, in broken English, that I would need a resident visa to get the work permit. But I was under the impression that I would need the work permit to get a resident visa. I only have a tourist visa right now, and I suspect the Mugamma isn’t going to just give me a resident visa. The other foreign teachers there have Egyptian husbands, so they didn’t have this problem. I suspect I’ll just need to bring a translator with me to the HR department. But any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi and welcome

If a school has hired you for a position then it is up to the school to sort out your work permit the usual thing is they take your passport and contract and they then do the paperwork for you this is the norm. 
I have used official translators in the past but cannot remember the address but you can see adverts for them all over the place. 

The school does not seem to be very helpful


Maiden


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> The school does not seem to be very helpful


Unfortunately there are too many so called international schools where teachers are left to their own devices (and that's IF they actually employ qualified teachers). 

To answer the OP, it is your employer's job to sort out the paperwork, you should not have to drag yourself with a translator to the Mugamma. 

Good luck with your new job


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## bat (Dec 1, 2010)

aykalam said:


> Unfortunately there are too many so called international schools where teachers are left to their own devices (and that's IF they actually employ qualified teachers).
> 
> To answer the OP, it is your employer's job to sort out the paperwork, you should not have to drag yourself with a translator to the Mugamma.
> 
> Good luck with your new job


It sounds like no one has a work permit just because your married to an Egyptian does not guarantee you a permit, just a resident visa .
Look on your countries web site they have a list of translators.
Yes it's your schools job to sort out your work permit.


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## txlstewart (Jun 20, 2010)

You don't need your transcripts translated into Arabic--that's inaccurate. I would seriously consider that your school is not above board in its dealings...


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

if a woman is married to an Egyptian, she can apply for a resident visa. BUT this is NOT a work visa. In the resident visa will be written: WORK IS NOT PERMITTED.


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## gerhardme1954 (Jul 6, 2011)

I agree. Something is fishy here. It is only an employer who can obtain a work permit, AND, one is needed. The work permit is supposed to be issued first, because the residence visa needs to be endorsed - work permitted/work not permitted.

On the admin level the employer is supposed to get employment clearance from the Government first, BEFORE they make you an offer. They have to declare stuff like: We could not get a qualified Egyptian for the post, etc,etc..that kind of stuff.


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## Musical (Feb 8, 2011)

txlstewart said:


> You don't need your transcripts translated into Arabic--that's inaccurate. I would seriously consider that your school is not above board in its dealings...


My wife had to provide notarised translations of her transcripts to enable her school to obtain her work permit for her senior position. She works at one of the top International Schools in Cairo, and apparently this practice is not unusual in other reputable educational establishments, according to teachers that I have met who work here.


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## Elle72 (Oct 4, 2011)

GM1 said:


> if a woman is married to an Egyptian, she can apply for a resident visa. BUT this is NOT a work visa. In the resident visa will be written: WORK IS NOT PERMITTED.


So how can a foreign woman (US) who is married to an Egyptian actually work in Egypt? it seems that many companies simply send us on a goose chase to acquire our own work permits..... how absurd is that??????????????????


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

your employer has to arrange a work visa.


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## Elle72 (Oct 4, 2011)

GM1 said:


> your employer has to arrange a work visa.


So what is the advantage then in marrying an Egyptian if I can't enjoy any benefits.


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## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

Elle72 said:


> So what is the advantage then in marrying an Egyptian if I can't enjoy any benefits.


Now there's a question few of us are qualified to even hazard a guess


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

you can apply for Egyptian citizenship, than you don't need a work permit.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

GM1 said:


> you can apply for Egyptian citizenship, than you don't need a work permit.




Strange because we were talking about this on Tuesday night and my friends who are all married to Egyptians say that being a citizen does not give you the right to work just that they are more inclined to turn a blind eye.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

GM1 said:


> your employer has to arrange a work visa.




If you are on a local hire then it is up to you to get your own work visa.


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

Elle72 said:


> So what is the advantage then in marrying an Egyptian if I can't enjoy any benefits.


Sorry, I had to laugh at this one. Does that mean that one marries a person, Egyptian or otherwise, for benefits? I am not sure that marrying an Egyptian, in order to work in Egypt is such a great benefit to the extent that I would want to give 'myself' in marriage to one 

We hear of the stories about foreign nationals in the USA wanting to marry Americans for a Green Card, but why on heavens earth would you want to marry an Egyptian in order to work in Egypt, for.... what benefits exactly? lol


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## Elle72 (Oct 4, 2011)

ArabianNights said:


> Sorry, I had to laugh at this one. Does that mean that one marries a person, Egyptian or otherwise, for benefits? I am not sure that marrying an Egyptian, in order to work in Egypt is such a great benefit to the extent that I would want to give 'myself' in marriage to one
> 
> We hear of the stories about foreign nationals in the USA wanting to marry Americans for a Green Card, but why on heavens earth would you want to marry an Egyptian in order to work in Egypt, for.... what benefits exactly? lol


U got it all wrong. What is the use to make a marriage official that s what I meant. Ourfi marriage or keep a boyfriend it is the same. I am married to an Egyptian and I love him so much but I careless if register my marriage or not and the reason we registered it is for me to get my career going again without having to work illegally. Egyptian laws seem to encourage illegal behavior by not letting those who have the right to work here get jobs legally the old regime had special treatment for Americans it all changed after this so called revolution.


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

Elle72 said:


> U got it all wrong. *What is the use to make a marriage official that s what I meant. Ourfi marriage or keep a boyfriend it is the same.* I am married to an Egyptian and I love him so much but I careless if register my marriage or not and the reason we registered it is for me to get my career going again without having to work illegally. *Egyptian laws seem to encourage illegal behavior by not letting those who have the right to work here get jobs legally* the old regime had special treatment for Americans it all changed after this so called revolution.


Keeping a boyfriend and being married are not the same. A marriage is a lifelong commitment to one person, with whom you share everything, whereas a boyfriend is usually just a short term relationship. I understand that people have long term girlfriend-boyfriend relationships however traditionally, and in some religions (including Christianity) the concept of these short term relationships are not accepted. From what I see in Egypt, the people here are not really beacons of Islam and its teachings, so I am not surprised that your husband was in a relationship like this in the first place. But if you only got married for the very reason so that you could work legally and live here - some people see that as an abuse of not only the scantity of marriage, but also the laws of the country. 

I would like to point out to you, that what you have done (getting married to work) would be illegal, if done in the USA, regardless of what tradition or religion says. Its an abuse of law. 

Getting married, so that you do not have to work illegally, beats the purpose of you marrying in the first place - which is illegal, if you only marry for its 'benefits'. The lesser moral crime would be to work illegally. 

You say: "Egyptian laws seem to encourage illegal behavior by not letting those who have the right to work here get jobs legally"

If one had the 'right' to get a job, then it wouldn't be illegal. So, Egypt encouraging illegal work in this situation is a moot point. 

You say: "the old regime had special treatment for Americans it all changed after this so called revolution"

I am sorry that you feel that the Egyptians should not have demanded their rights and freedoms, simply because an American is not allowed to work legally here. 

Are you kidding me? I mean like...... WHAT? 

Next you'll be saying that you cannot now get an Egyptian to wait on you hands and feet, because after the revolution, there are more rights for the people of this country. Seriously, I am sorry, but people with your attitude really makes me wanna do something bad. Typical.


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

Elle72 said:


> the old regime had special treatment for Americans it all changed after this so called revolution.




I had to do a double take on that one!


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## ArabianNights (Jul 23, 2011)

aykalam said:


> I had to do a double take on that one!


lol.... Snap, with the shocked face, icon face lol


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