Job Discussion Forums

[happyroofus]

F/y/i:
There seems to be a new mandatory attestation of degree/cert step in place now for all work visa applicants to the Kingdom. Not too sure when it came in, but it looks like sometime between April-June of this year at the KSA London embassy. My KSA employer didn't know about it, so I thought it might be best to put this out there for anyone concerned.

What it means for all work visa applicants from UK (& Ireland) is that they have to submit their highest awarded degree to the Attache office in London, contact their awarding institution to get them to scan & email or fax/mail the Attache office directly, and then for the Attache officer to stamp the copy sent by the institution. Problem is: there is a major backlog on applicants at this pre-semester stage, and it's taking an average of 4-8 weeks (or longer depending on just how much you push things from your end). It must be done BEFORE you even apply for the work visa itself.

Is this being applied to everyone else - say the U.S, Canada, Australia, NZ?

[Middle East Beast]

It's news to me (I'm a Yank).

MEB

[warrda.w]

My husband is American and I'm Canadian, and we both have to do a similar step. We send our documents to the Saudi Consulate in our respective countries for authentication.

[Middle East Beast]

[DeApple]

I haven�t heard about it but in light of so many of my UK & USA colleagues coming to our Uni two years ago with online certificates and some other Photoshop works, I can believe it. It may take time but you eventually get caught cheating

I have scanned copies of all my diplomas and certificates (originals) as well as sworn translated letters of the non-English ones and never had a problem. I�ve known people that tried to get pass with fake documents, but I�m personally in another league.

[JK01]

I recently went through the same process in the UK.

happyroofus, you are right as most agents and employers are not aware of the new process and I found it extremely difficult to communicate with the embassy and cultural attache in the UK to get guidance, the latter is where you need to have your certificates attested.

The positive side to this, is that you no longer have to send your certificates to the FCO to have them legalised, but as you have mentioned, the process becomes a lengthy one as there is a backlog and it appears that there is only one poor guy, dealing with attestation matters (incl. Saudi students).
Mind you, mine only took about 2 weeks. Still waiting for my visa to be processed...

Good luck!

[gelynch52ph]

Over the past 4 years I have obtained 2 Business Visas (one in Bahrain) and 1 Government Visa. When I have e-mailed the KSA Embassy in Manila for information all these times I have yet to receive the first answer. Has anyone in any country ever received an answer from the KSA Embassy in their respective country?

Not exactly related to that is that I have sent at least 20 requests to the Saudi internet censors asking that a site be unblocked. Somehow I get the impression that at least 48 hours have passed since I made the first request 4 years ago and I have also yet to receive the first reply in response to the infamous Green Page.

[It's Scary!]

[sharter]

I've been having a costly nightmare trying to get my CRB check and certification attested.

My new employer sent me all the links etc, I have no agent. Getting the degree notarised and stamped by the FCO, not a problem. The CRB check has been a nightmare as the issuer used a barcode and didn't sign it. No lawyer will attest an unsigned original and the FCO won't stamp an un-notarised original...a real catch 22. I explained all this to my new employer, who probably now thinks I'm dumb. I've had to go back to the issuer of the CRB and ask for a signed copy. This has all cost a friggin fortune.

So, the rules have changed? The FCO site doesn't mention this-not surprising!! My ME employer doesn't know this!! Not surprising.

What a pain in the arse!!

[ap4058]

keep receipts and you may get reimbursed.

[cyclistlongdistancerunner]

Not from TQLS inKuwait you won't . . .

[gelynch52ph]

[cyclistlongdistancerunner]

Because I know that Sharter is actually referring to Kuwait, not Saudi Arabia.

Best

[George Muresan]

I like this.

[George Muresan]

When I got a contract offer, they didn't specify any degree certification though. I guess it does depend on where you are applying and how adamant the recruitment agency is about getting positions filled.