Job Discussion Forums

passport220 · Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 117

Applying for a Saudi work visa from Thailand.

I am a native born US citizen now living in Thailand. I would like to apply to teach in Saudi Arabia but I found some bits and pieces of information that worry me that I will have to travel all the way back to the USA to apply for my work visa. Can anyone confirm if this is true?

WhatsGrammar? · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 54

I suspect it is true.

I,m going through the procedure now for BAE in Saudi and all the phone calls I,ve had confirm that as a Brit..........I need to go back to UK for my visa if I am accepted by BAE.

Suspect its the same for our American cousins.

passport220 · Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 117

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

As ın many other questıons it depends on your employer. My employer can get you a visa in your country of residence - if you are legally resident there and can establish that. Other employers insist you go back to the country whose passport you hold.

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

This sounds true. I'm living overseas and I am applying for a work visa in KSA through the KSA consulate here. My employer is quite happy with that. If there's a KSA consulate in Thailand, I'd probe the possibility of doing the visa from there. Find visa agencies there, interview various higher officials in the KSA consulate there to present your case, and persuade your sponsor that you wish to do this.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

This is not usually negotiable. Some employers will and some will not.There is an ad currently on this website, for example, from one employer who makes it clear that your visa MUST be processed in the country where you are a citizen.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

It might be negotiable but it's certainly not explicable.

When I did recruitment for JIC we were told it was necessary for the individual visa number be detached from the block visa, send to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then reassigned to another Consulate. You then, in the case of any country apart from Bahrain, had to present a residence permit in the country where the Saudi Consulate issued the visa.

KFUPM said you just stated the country you wanted the visa from and turned up with the contract. They would need to know the country beforehand however. I was told that what was necessary was not proof of residence, but proof you were legally in the country (i.e. a tourist visa did fine).

Marhaba! Ayubayan!

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Stephen, is it possible to change the country where the KSA consulate is located that issues the visa? That is, if I told my company that I want the visa issued from a KSA consulate in one country and then change that to another country, would that be OK?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

There are no hard and fat rules which can be explained to anyone. Ask your employer. Do what he tells you. Welcome to Arabia.

windstar · Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 235

In our case, we could not convince our employers to finalize our application in the ME, now we are going to Canada.

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Our sponsor is OK with us processing the work visa anywhere. We're doing it in the ME but may end up doing part of it in Asia if things don't work out (see other thread on related topic).

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

How can you do "part of it" elsewehere ? An Embassy either gives you an entry visa or it doesn't !

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Thanks for coming!

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

There is a KSA consulate in Bangkok - near Silom.
You CANNOT get a work visa there.
Now you can only apply for the business visa on line.
The sponsor must also apply on line in KSA for you. (visa number)
The work visa, you now must go back to your home country - a lengthy
and costly experience.

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

For some odd reason, getting a KSA work visa from a KSA consulate in another Gulf country is a cake walk (which I did now). But getting the same visa in the KSA consulate in Canada or the US requires so much time & expense (my friend now and my experience in 2003).

It's just one of those things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm....!