Job Discussion Forums

[Bebsi]

[paradox3696]

Based on my experience in applying for a Saudi work visa, whatever stated on the official website could be out of date. And worst of all, some employers (at least mine) were not even aware of the "visa number" requirement.

Again, to save time and frustration, an approved agent is the best route to go to get a "visa Number'. Actually, that is the ONLY way you can apply for work visa.

After getting the "visa number", you may even choose to apply yourself at the embassy personally.


Good luck

[Kornan DeKobb]

[Zaytoon]

Kornan DeKobb, I have moved your process several steps further, but let me warn you at the outset this does not end well.

First, there is probably something wrong with your photo. Irfanview is a good enough program, but you probably won't be able to resize the photo to fit both the pixel size AND the required size of the file. It can't be either too big or two small. There are some free online programs that can size the photo for you if you are willing to spend a few hours googling and playing with it, but if you should chance to surmount that obstacle, then answer all the questions in the application, and get as far as the payment process, you still have the credit card obstacle. Yup, it's in Arabic. Say you have downloaded the Firefox Foxlingo toolbar with the google translate window and can figure out which box is for the credit card number and which box is for your name, you will still find no box for you to indicate which kind of card you have. You can decide to go ahead with the transaction and click the button.

At that point you get a message something like:
لايتم إعادة تكاليف الخدمة الالكترونية في حالة عدم تنفيذ الخدمة
فشلت عملية الدفع - (Sale-7001 )
which I believe means something like "transaction failed".

At the top of the page you will find :
في حالة وجود أي معوقات أثناء عملية الدفع يمكن التنسيق مع السيد / أسامة الحميدان من البنك العربي الوطني هاتف : +96614029000 - تحويلة : 3924 بريد إلكتروني
with a Saudi phone number. If you happen to have an extra international phone card laying around, then you're in luck and you can call the guy and ask him what to do next.

FWIW, here are the websites I used to get that far:
http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/Enjaz-Guideline.aspx
(Saudi embassy)
http://www.travisa.com/Saudi/guide-photo.html
(a commercial visa service)
here are the photo requirements form the application page:

Notice :
Enable ( ActiveX Controls ) in ( Internet Options ) Menu
Personal Photos must be ready before starting submit use scanning programes to scan the photos
photo width range ( 70pxl ) - ( 165pxl )
photo hight range ( 65pxl ) - ( 185pxl )
photo size range ( 3k ) - ( 4k )

Oh, did I mention the active X controls? When you change them in your computer you get a big flashing message that says "your current security settings put your computer at risk. Click here to change your security settings." Then sure enough, the Import Person Picture photo uploads.

Your contract came with a piece of paper that authorizes an agent to do the application, right? And the company that hires you says they will reimburse you for the cost of an agent, right? And it's only a couple of extra days tacked onto the time you have already spent, right?

While you are waiting maybe you will have time to come back here and explain about the amazingly fascinating life story of why you need the antidote of going to KSA. Perhaps the reflection might benefit us all. :)

[Zaytoon]

Looking at this again, it did give me an "application number" and an "operation number" according to Teh Google Translate. Is that enough? The embassy website doesn't say anything about a fee, but that's sort of counterintuitive.

[Kornan DeKobb]

When

[sheikher]

It seems that the university's sponsorship of a business visit visa is not in the offing. You have been directed to fulfill all requirements for the employment entry visa, whether not not that presents a burden on your pocketbook.

The alternative is to cancel the application and seek employment elsewhere in a country with less onerous visa application procedures.

Your application, I remind you, is dispensable, as painful as that notion may seem right now!

[Kornan DeKobb]

[sheikher]

Once again you are progressively leaking out information it would have been valuable to read in your original post. True to form, you have not indicated what benefits may be withheld should the unnamed school choose to sponsor a visa type it recognizes as illegal.

A few posts ago you stated: What I must sign is the contract which says the school will give all the necessary entry permits and visas for employment and residency.

Your contract is misleading you. For your information, the necessary entry permit IS ACTUALLY the visa, not a distinct document as your contract implies. It serves only to enter Saudi Arabia for employment, and is attached to the application later made to maintain residency and collect salary -- a permit referred to in vernacular as an "iqama". An iqama has nothing to do with entry for employment. This plastic card is not a visa issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the ID card administered by the Ministry of Interior.

Now you state a second visa option. If you trust the school's contract, go ahead and take whatever is issued to you in terms of visa sponsorship.

If the school is indeed contractually offering you two visa options, one of which is a business visit visa, then by all means take that option and suffer the consequences later.

Get that documented as an addendum to the contact. Ask the unnamed school to specify the benefits you will be denied in lieu of accepting a higher salary. Ask the unnamed school to specify what damages they will pay should matters go awry. For a start, ask the school to name a hospital which serves illegal teachers free.

And welcome to the Wonderful World of the Saudi Scam.

Sweet dreams!

[Kornan DeKobb]

[johnslat]

Dear Kornan DeKobb,

"So how do you suppose all the teachers there on business visas are getting by?"

The lucky few - probably not too badly.

The unlucky many - probably badly indeed.

Should you go there on a "business visa," I hope you fall into the first category.

Regards,
John

[Kornan DeKobb]

[thriftlightning]

I went through this when I brought my parents over on visit visas.

The system is designed to be broken so that you have to pay an agency to do it for you. The directions they give you don't matter; you have to pay someone to make it work.

[bulgogiboy]

My photo wouldn't upload on it either. I ended up paying an agency to do it. The person at the agency said it was common for people to waste days trying to get the site to work, with no success...

[Captain Willard]

Indeed, the system is full of traps for the unwary. I successfully defeated the picture upload puzzle, only to be defeated by the declined payment trap. As an intrepid adventurer, I knew that when the system refused to accept any of my credit or debit cards, including one from a foreign country, that the game was rigged. A visa service is required for to enter the Golden Sandtrap.

For those who wish to defeat the photo upload puzzle, the solution is below:

NOTES ON UPLOADING PICTURES:

To help with uploading your pictures, go to: http://www.fookes.com/downloads.php?product=ezthumbs

Download Easy Thumbnails 3.0

This will help with the photos and sizing. I've been using 90x120 on my computer to get the right size but I know every computer is different and so you may have to fool around with the sizing. Also, am using 76 for the setting for quality. You can also try 128 x 150 with a quality setting of 55%.

INTERNET EXPLORER IS REQUIRED WITH SECURITY DISABLED!