Moun10gurl

Hi all,

I recently lost my job. I am in the process of looking for a new one but my chances are not looking good! My question is, if I leave the country with debts, would that show up on a police report? I dont want to do this, but I may have no other choice! The reason I ask is that at some point I would like to move to the USA. In order to do that I would need to provide a police report for any countries I have lived in for more than 6 months. If they applied here would that show up? Probably a silly question, but still worth asking...

Thank you!

Bob

Don't know, but there's a few threads on debt and leaving that are on the go at the moment, so might be worth seeing if the answer is already in them...

Oh and welcome to BE.

Moun10gurl

Hi Bob, thank you for your response! I've been looking through them but it seems that I may be the only person afraid of future police reports

Will keep looking though...

Bob

Regarding the US, if leaving the debts is a criminal issue, it could be a problem, if there's a potential sentence of more than a year etc and considered a CIMP, if it's just a civil issue it shouldn't affect US visa issues.

I've no idea what it'll be classed as in the UAE though.

IndieG

If you've provided a "security" cheque covering your debts, and if the cheque bounces then the bank will file a criminal case (they do this to put pressure on debtors and civil cases take very long). Once a criminal case is filed, then it may show up when you apply for a police clearance.

Good luck....

admon

If a criminal case is filed, then surely it will show on a police report.
It would mean there was an outstanding warrant for your arrest.

Food for thought: lying to US immigration (which includes ticking the 'wrong box' on your visa waiver form) will make you permanently ineligible (lifetime ban) to visit the US, should they find out, at any point in time in the future.

While people generally get into the US on the visa waiver despite lying, as there are not really checks in place, applying for any work/residence visa is a completely different kettle of fish.

Here is a novel one, why don't you pay back the debt, before it potentially ruins your future?
Of course not, it's not real debt, just 'Dubai debt'..

Norm_uk

Whilst I don't want to suggest the person who started this thread is someone who doesn't face their debts, it's interesting what you just posted as I have an aqquaintance who has exactly that mentality towards debt in this country who thought he could simply not pay and not tell the bank why for 3 months while he looked for new work.

To cut it short his previous visa was cancelled, bank found out, filed a case and he was stopped at the boarder whilst try to do a visa run. Then he thought he would call the bank and moan at them for filing a case for him not paying his debts!

Quite amazing really as if he had just called them the day he lost his job an arrangement could have been reached. He's sorted it all out now but all he does is moan about how uncivillised they are here

Call me old fashioned but if you borrow money you have to pay it back one way or another and at least inform the bank if you are having trouble paying because of things like job loss...they actually have insurance to cover defaulted loans due to unemployment provided the person informs them as soon as possible.

N.

Blue Cat

I agree, why do people think they can get away with it? honesty is the way to go.

lionheart

Just tell the USA Immigration the truth even if it doesn't appear on any Police Report as they will presumably understand your reasons for leaving the UAE.

Moun10gurl

Hi all,

thank you for your responses. I never thought that I would be in a situation where I would be leaving a debt. I love this country and I helped start the company where I have just been made redundant. Leaving debt is a last resort for me. I was told that if I notify the bank that I have lost my job then they will put a frezze on my passport and I would be unable to leave.

I would intend to pay off my loan when I got a job in the uk, however, with the job market over there right now I am afraid that it woul take some few months to get a job.

AnotherWorld

Whilst theres no need to pay it off RIGHT NOW (or continue your regular payments for that matter), you can start saving or start paying small amounts until its all gone or until you save enough to pay out the lot. That way people like Admon won't have epileptic seizures everytime he thinks about it.

USA would ban you from entering for just about anything. An Aussie who stole a bar mat from a Thai pub and got away with a fine was denied entry to the USA recently because of what she had done (criminal matter). I rekon the US would stop you at the border if they found out you had upset the snow-people of the North Pole for eating sacred ice.

Amnesia180

I wouldn't say it's old fashioned... it should be the "norm" (no pun intended) for people to realise they got to pay back what they borrow.

However; that said. We don't know this guys circumstances. Could be a huge debt for whatever reasons. We've all borrowed money (to some extent) whether it be to get an extension on our house, buy a nice car, or took money on an overdraft.

Hope you get it sorted soon

IndieG

Having worked for two major banks in Dubai, I can tell you it is a stupid idea to tell the bank (applies to most banks) you've lost your job and request to reschedule your debt. In 99% of the cases they will immediately file a criminal case (even if you have every intention of repaying your debt) just to stop you from leaving the UAE.

And God help you if you've got a job overseas - they expect you to provide a guarantor (who is working in the UAE) or else the new job is a no go.

So leave the country and then negotiate to repay debt, as most will file a criminal case anyway.

Bob

Debt isn't a bar to the US, so my feeling, even if this were criminal in the UAE, it wouldn't be in the US as they would apply their law to it....would still declare it and have all the proof about what it was about etc though.

Theft is as bad as a drug arrest, will really mess you up, as it is a CIMP, but one incident wouldn't potentially be a far, but it depends on what the maximum potential sentence of the crime is, over a year and your toast, doesn't matter if you didn't get any time. Chances are this person already had other issues, more more likely lied to immigration.

Anyway, this could be a good question to ask in the US visa section and certainly a US immigration lawyer.

AnotherWorld

Basically then, all you could really tell them is "I have debt oweing to a bank in the UAE". You couldn't say "I have an arrest warrant issued against me" or "I have been sentenced to 1000 years and 1000 lashes in absentia for not finishing my credit card payments" because you probably wouldn't even know if you had...

The bar mat incident was highly publicised in the Australian and Thai press too. What I was really (sarcastically) trying to get at though is, whether the US would halt your entry even if you had a conviction in a country they dont recognise/have an embargo/have other restrictions on like Palestine or North Korea; would being convicted of rape in Palestine or treason in NK mean youre ineligible for entry?