please help P.O Box address problem in saudi arabia, Filipino guy here.

[itguy29]

Hi Guys,

Good Day,


I'am a Filipino overseas worker in Saudi Arabia. I've been working here since 2009, now I'm planning to fill up my application forms to migrate to Canada. First and foremost my problem is I don't have permanent address because the company that I used to work assigned me in a project site(province of hail) where the place is still under construction and has no address yet. Can I use the address of my employer? even though we know that most of the addresses here in Saudi Arabia business or residential uses P.O box(postal office box address) will it affect my application process? because based on the background declaration form using P.O box is not permitted or not allowed and I need to fill up the portion where I put all my residential address history...



Guy's please help me I'm new here.. I hope to gather good advise/s  and solutions here...

God bless all.

[wilson]

You can use the employer address. Give your e mail address as mailing address.

[suva]

u can submit a letter with your application explaining your situation. u r from Philippine so u can use your parents address in case of important communications. good luck

[Kazakhstan]

This is not a standard situation for sure. So, you're living in a building still partially under construction?

For your mailing address, you can use anything, I'm sure you understand that. As long as all the incoming mail from the visa office will get to you safely and promptly...

Residential address history from the form would be used to run background checks on you. So, in my opinion, if if there's an alternative way to give your residential address, whatever it is, then use this "known as" or "customary" address instead, not the official residential PO Box... For example, if I was to come visit you from Canada, and I needed to show your address to a taxi driver, what would you write for me? A PO Box?? I highly doubt it. It would be some sort of a street address, building and apartment number, whatever... Or, another example, if the Saudi police would stop you on the street and ask, where do you live? What information would you give them? Then use this form of the address, because the logic of giving your background info is to tell where you physically reside(d). Provide the PO Box addresses on an additional sheet of paper as an addition to the form just in case...

If there is no way to do it, then, as the last resort, put down whatever the official address of your residence is (or was), even if it's a P.O. Box and provide a good explanation in your cover letter just in case, based on the fact that it's common practice in Saudi Arabia, to prevent them from requesting more info (causing an unwanted delay...)

That's what I've always done in each of our immigration applications, if there was something out of ordinary, I've explained it very carefully in the cover letter providing all facts and documentary evidence that could help clarify it.

It's okay to provide more information, as much as you feel needed, but not okay to be incomplete.

Understand that your obligation in filling out the forms is to the best of your ability to reflect the actual situation. So, if you're living in a "shack 10 near the construction site such-and-such, Ha'il city, Saudi Arabia" then that's what you'll end up indicating... So, don't use another address (like, your employers address) just so it looks better...

It's just my opinion based on the approach I prefer of always being as truthful as possible, but it's not a firm advice on what you should do... I personally don't think that it will cause any processing delays if you give truthful information, whatever it is.  

[itguy29]

Thanks for all the feedback, I do really appreciate all the details that you have mentioned here. Maybe I would ask my uncle who is in Canada to ask him if i can use his personal address.. But 1 thing it bother's me about the background declaration form because i need to fill out the addresses that i lived before...maybe it would be better to make a cover letter and give my truthful explanation.

[wilson]

Thanks for all the feedback, I do really appreciate all the details that you have mentioned here. Maybe I would ask my uncle who is in Canada to ask him if i can use his personal address.. But 1 thing it bother's me about the background declaration form because i need to fill out the addresses that i lived before...maybe it would be better to make a cover letter and give my truthful explanation.

As you are legal resident of Saudi Arabia, you have to show your Saudi Arabian residential  address. As you are working under a certain company or establishment with their sponsorship, there is no problem for showing that address. I was working in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh for several years. When I submitted the IMM0008 in 2006,  I had only used my employer's mail box ( P.O.Box) for mailing address. I used their office fax number, office land line number, personal mobile number and also my e mail address.Against my residential address I mentioned the building number, street and City. There were no problems. I received my AOR and other letters from VO to my employer's PO Box address and also the VO sent me  fax to my office fax machine also.

Therefore, don't take it so serious. Ensure that you will be delivered all the letters from your office P.O.Box.

You can try this:

If you pay 250 or 300 ( I don't know exactly what rate now because I left Saudi Arabia in early March 2009 ) to Saudi Post, you can rent a P.O.Box in your name at the nearest post office or one year. Or, you can share the P.O>Box of any of your reliable friend. Or use company's P.O.Box as others do and show your e mail address as mailing address.  VO prefer to send e mails.