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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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 Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:48 am Post subject: |
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| I think it is issued to people who may be hired by government entities such as universities but I really have no idea. |
The text you quoted made it very clear that this visa does not entitle the holder to work:
* Business visas do not grant to the applicant the right to work or to reside in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Seems to me that this is your common and garden 'business/visit visa', however much they may be trying to dress it up by calling it a 'government' or 'diplomatic' visa. |
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BillCowher
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 131
Location: Up in the air!!!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:41 am Post subject: |
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I said in my post that the visa info was not very clear. In my research there seems to be a Business Visa & a Government Visit Visa with no clear delineation of the differences between the 2, if any.
I am willing to learn from anyone with actual experience RE the 2 types but I already know that what is written is not what actually happens. For instance, when I worked for International House in Al Khafji I had a business visa that required me to physically leave the country every 30 days but at least twice my visa was renewed while I was still in class & not out of the country to Kuwait as the stamps indicated. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:01 am Post subject: |
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In my research there seems to be a Business Visa & a Government Visit Visa with no clear delineation of the differences between the 2, if any.
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Essentially they are the same thing. The business/visit visa gives you the right to visit KSA - whether for personal or business reasons - for a short period, but does not give you the right to work or reside there.
As I've said many times before, if you do come to KSA on a business visa, do so only on the (written) understanding that it will be converted to a full work visa asap. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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It looks like the Saudi government has stopped using the business visa for those coming to work for a short period, and is now issuing two other types of visa, the temporary visit work visa, and the government visit visa. The latter is presumably for those who will be working temporarily for the government.
The problem of course is that the Saudi authorities have not upgraded their websites so there are only three or four Saudi Embassies that mention the Temporary Work Visit visa and one that mentions the Government Visit visa.
The duration and cost of the visas appears to be the same as that of the business visa, and there are two kinds, the 30 days single entry visa, and the 3 month multi-entry visa, with a pricing to match.
The fun is when you have to wait weeks because nobody has sent the embassy the appropriate rubber stamp. There is already one poster on this forum in this situation. |
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lizziebennet
Joined: 24 May 2009
Posts: 355
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| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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As far as I know we are working for a government university which is why we were able to get the 3 month govt visa.
Stephen, when you say multi-entry does that mean we don't need an exit visa to visit Bahrain or Jordan within those three months? I would be interested to know if we could come and go on weekends or days off.
I am pleased to say that my visa was through within 24 hours. My husband unfortunately is still waiting. Embassy's computers were down and Monday is a public holiday so it looks like I will only be flying out to Saudi next Friday! |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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Business visa:
Single Entry (max 3 months) = �39
6 Months Multiple Entry** = �96
**This visa is granted at the discretion of the Saudi consul!!
Special Short-Term Work Visa = �202
Work visa: �10
Family visa: �39
Residency visa: �10 |
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Chaudhry
Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:30 am Post subject: sorry for late pm |
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sorry mate for the late PM but the PM is not the PM anymore i am going to post the editted PM on the forum in case some other aussie is out there trying to find the same information.
So here you go. "How I got visa documents in Australia"
I had to go to my GP first and showed him that medical checkup forms that can be downloaded from www.sacm.org.au (saudi cultural mission in canberra). He took a look at it, signed it and wrote his medical board registeration number on it. After that i made a postal money order from Australia post of worth 37 bucks (it might be different in Vic. please check on it) and sent it all to the medical board's address (please google fir it). They took a week to send all the docs back. Oh i forgot to tell you ... when you take the forms to your GP he will prescribe you for all the tests mentioned on the medical form.
After that I had to apply for AFP police check. Please fill in the forms carefully because AFP people dont space a single mistake on the forms. They sent mine once back because I missed field. Please find the details and forms at www.afp.gov.au and please send money order of 43 dollars alongwith the application form. They take upto 15 working days to process the application.
I had to take all my degrees to the DEFAT for certification/stamp blahhhhhhh and they told me to go to notary and get docs notarized by a notary. Notary took 175 dollars to notarize documents and DEFAT took 3 days to process the documents. |
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BillCowher
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 131
Location: Up in the air!!!
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:41 am Post subject: Post made in October |
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| Cleopatra wrote: |
I've noticed a lot of talk about 'government visas' recently.
Aren't all visas, by definition, 'government visas', given that nobody has the right to issue a visa other than the government? |
Yes, all visas are issued by the government BUT; The Government Visit Visa is a 90 day, single entry visa with the words "Not Permitted to Work" written on it.
That speaks volumes for those who are brought to KSA & made to work on such a visa. It has a single advantage over the Work visa in that you can leave whenever you want. The work visa requires a letter from your employer for you to be allowed to leave KSA at any airport or port or to drive out through Bahrain, Yemen, Oman or Kuwait. |
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desert_traveller
Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 335
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:21 am Post subject: |
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im gonna launch a 'saudi visa clarification service' - you send me a scan of your visa documents and some dosh on paypal and i tell you what you have got there
im gonna be a millionaire
tiger and bill, here i come |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| The work visa requires a letter from your employer for you to be allowed to leave KSA at any airport or port or to drive out through Bahrain, Yemen, Oman or Kuwait. |
This is simply false.
Any non-citizen who is legally resident in the Kingdom requires an exit visa which can only be obtained by your sponsor. Once you have that visa, however, no further documentation is required. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:20 am Post subject: |
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| It can often be difficult to disentangle the truth from half-truths, rumours and misinformation ! |
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