Job Discussion Forums

Melange · Joined: 27 Jun 2015 Posts: 19

Hello cafe

Does anyone have any experience with direct hire government unis and their visa process. Does their process differ from contracting/ third party companies?
Chime freely……...

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

I am about to go through this process so feel free to pm me in a few weeks...

The contractors do usually use a visa agent who help smooth things along. But, remember, I am in the UK and it differs from the US and other places.. In London, Britannia are quite quick but they now charge 500 pounds for the medical and documentation.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

In the US, the SACM, which is an administrative division of the Saudi Ministry of Education, facilitates the visa application process (and travel arrangements) for new employees instead of an expensive, third-party visa agent.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Not just in USA. In my case the SACM in Ankara processed things and I got the visa from the Consulate in Istanbul.

Melange · Joined: 27 Jun 2015 Posts: 19

Thank you all for your comments but,
I was asking if there is a different visa process for direct hire positions for KSA government univeristies like KSU, KAU, etc than positions through contracting companies such as laureate and their like.

Seems that government establishments have a little more leverage in bringing expats over on employment visas.

balqis · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 373

Melange · Joined: 27 Jun 2015 Posts: 19

Yes it was an assumption indeed.

Reason being, I know someone who will bring his family with him when he enters the kingdom and from my experiences with contracting companies, this is very unlikely. Was just wondering if government unis have priority with visa services by
virtue of them being "government" affiliated.

Melange · Joined: 27 Jun 2015 Posts: 19

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

balqis · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 373

I have worked in KSA twice before, on both counts for private unis, direct hires. The SCAM I had never heard of then - all my dealings were between the uni, the Saudi Embassy and myself.
Now I'm processing a visa for a gov uni. A third part is now involved, which is SCAM office in one of the EU countries, and involved heavily. My degree was apostilled before, and notarized before by the Ministry of Education as well as Foreign Affairs, also attested officially with a huge green stamp by the KSA Embassy. It was enough for both my previous KSA contracts. But not any longer.
That notary and apostilled attestation which I obtained before is now enough only for my new dealings with the Embassy.
For SCAM it is not enough though, and now anew I have to carry out separate attestation procedure of my degree, and the attestation has a different content [ obviously to detect on-line and distant components and in general fake and fictitious degrees, a phenomenon that didn't exist when I completed my M.A. many years ago].
Not only this. Also, each of my Employment certs/letters, which the uni used to calculate my remuneration, each such letter needs to be attested, i.e. stamped by the SCAM office in the country where it was issued [!], which further means I have to carry out DHL costly postal exchanges with various countries in the world. All of it must be done by regular postal service, and they demand originals; mailing scans is not allowed, neither is sending them any copies, save the originals. Further it means, I have to deliver along with the Employment certs precise contact information for the unis I have worked at for the last 15 years or so; so for example the SCAM say in Kuwait will be contacting the uni in Kuwait in which I had worked many many years ago.
Nice, isn't it? And add to this the Ramadan timing and the Eid break.
As well as, I have to provide a NOC for my last KSA employer to the Embassy, if I have KSA employment visa stamps in my passport.

This is why, Melange, my answer to your original post was rather uncouth, but I was handling today yet another drama related to my visa processing, therefore when I read your post I just snapped out, for which short snap I apologize.

balqis

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

Yes, it seems like there are added hurdles to go through with the visa process now. I was in Saudi two years ago and I didn't have to provide any form concerning online study..

As I mentioned in an above post, I will go through this process myself as I have a direct hire gig with a government uni. Ramadan finishes on the 16th so in the next few days I should get the green light to start the application process rolling.

The contractors/CoEs are really slow. I anticipate getting out to Saudi about two weeks late rather than two months late..