Contract/visa issues for a new job
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:10 pm
I currently work in an international school in Cairo, Egypt. The week of March 20 I signed a contract with Internationella Engelska Skolan in Sweden. I am supposed to start on August 10, with my work permit ready.
They make you do all the immigration paperwork yourself, so I had to go to the Swedish embassy in Cairo to get my work permit (at my own expense of $350). I went on April 4, and was told that it would not be ready until mid-September. I told the school about this issue, and they told me to fly back to Canada (my home country) and get the paperwork done there! They said categorically that I could not come to Sweden without it, but don't seem to be very open to helping expedite the process.
I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. My school wants to know our summer/next year plans in order to schedule return flights. I need to decide on summer plans, too. I have decided to look for positions elsewhere.
It's possible I will get the visa earlier than September, but it's not certain, and it's quite possible it may not be ready in time and I may be out of luck.
Would it be responsible to break a contract in this case? I don't want this thing to fall through and be unemployed in September. I have two other offers from international schools eager to have me.
In short: Signed a contract with Swedish school for August, there is a possibility my work permit won't be ready in time, need certainty about my job situation. Can I break contract and take another offer?
They make you do all the immigration paperwork yourself, so I had to go to the Swedish embassy in Cairo to get my work permit (at my own expense of $350). I went on April 4, and was told that it would not be ready until mid-September. I told the school about this issue, and they told me to fly back to Canada (my home country) and get the paperwork done there! They said categorically that I could not come to Sweden without it, but don't seem to be very open to helping expedite the process.
I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. My school wants to know our summer/next year plans in order to schedule return flights. I need to decide on summer plans, too. I have decided to look for positions elsewhere.
It's possible I will get the visa earlier than September, but it's not certain, and it's quite possible it may not be ready in time and I may be out of luck.
Would it be responsible to break a contract in this case? I don't want this thing to fall through and be unemployed in September. I have two other offers from international schools eager to have me.
In short: Signed a contract with Swedish school for August, there is a possibility my work permit won't be ready in time, need certainty about my job situation. Can I break contract and take another offer?