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Mr TEFL
Joined: 12 Jun 2009
Posts: 35
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 Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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| So has anyone heard of a 'government visit visa' and if so is it better than a business or visit visa (especially when the time comes to try and change it to an iqama, if that's possible)? If it's a government visit visa does this mean that the school/college/uni has wasta and might be able to sort an iqama out without some of the cumbersome hassle that has been mentioned by some of the posters in this thread? |
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sheikher
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 291
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 6:57 am Post subject: |
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A "government visit visa" is mentioned on the Saudi Embassy website in Washington. First I've hard of it. Seems to be exclusive to USA and applicable to diplomats only.
I wouldn't muck about with this one! Read carefully:
http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/Government-Visit-Visa.aspx |
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rigel
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| sheikher wrote: |
A work visa and iqama are secured within 90 days of arrival. Read the Labor laws. The application process should ideally begin within 24 hours after arrival.
Any sponsor attempting to procure a 3-month business visa for you is most probably the type of character who is likely to dishonor any addendum to the contract he has signed or to which verbal assurance has been made (or to which assurances via electronic means are made). I doubt that he has any intention whatsoever of securing a legit work visa for you after your arrival on the illegal business visa he sponsored. Too many questions would require answering!
Be aware that those visa runs for a business visa renewal may be denied and you'll be stuck high and dry in Bahrain with your personal effects and cash on the other side of the causeway.
Incidentally, those business visa renewal runs are not cheap. You'll require transport by a "special taxi" cab whose drivers pay surcharges to cross an international boundary. You'll require a visa agent because the applications are in Arabic. He'll demand the visa fees and additional fees for his services. Accommodation: optimistically for one night. If you're going on a workday, your salary may be accordingly reduced. If you're going on a Wednesday after work, good luck finding a vacancy over the weekend when rates go up.
Those visa fees (only) are a legal obligation of your sponsor. If the means by which illegal renewals are procured are your responsibility, your sponsor does not value you for your daily professionalism; he values you from a perspective fundamentally known as profit motive. |
This business work visa thing is looking less and less appealing. Maybe it should have never looked 'appealing' to begin with. Live and learn. It sounds like to me an agency can drag you to KSA (probably on your dime), get you into a job, and then work you for weeks or even months at a time without paying you...and you'd be powerless to do a thing about it. |
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sheikher
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 291
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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You're slightly confused as to names of visas. There is no "business work visa".
There are, however,
(1) entry visa which leads to a work visa/permit and iqama,
(2) 3-month business visa (sometimes called a business visit visa). |
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buildbyflying
Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 30
Location: On your right. No, your other right.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| In the case of 3-month business visas, often the entry is via Bahrain where complicit visa agents can be of assistance to the sponsor. After entry to KSA, you must exit every 30 days to get a stamp in your passport. |
In Bahrain, I was issued what I was told was a "two-month" business visa. Turns out the "validity" was 60 days, but the visa was only good for two-weeks. The agent at the office across from the Saudi embassy straight up lied to me. The validity is the time you have to enter Saudi, the expiration is in Arabic. I had to pay the ten grand myself. |
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rigel
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 7:25 am Post subject: |
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Jesus Merriweather Christ. This visa nonsense will drive a guy insane. Is anyone as sick of this BS as I? Gotta make a visa run every 30 days. Ride a bus for 10 hours, step out of the country, step back in, ride a bus for 10 hours. Repeat 30 days later. Sounds like Thailand in the old days before they reduced it there to 15 days. Good thing teachers are off two weekdays in the KSA each week. Is this by design? One day each month I waste on a visa run. Better bring some good books to read while chugging away on the bus. They DO have public express buses in the KSA, right?
God almighty somebody get this visa crap into something workable. |
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eclectic
Joined: 09 Nov 2006
Posts: 1122
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| R. itll never happen until the Rub' al -Khali freezes over. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:42 am Post subject: |
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I've said my peace (  )...over, and over, and over...sigh...sigh...sigh...again...
NCTBA |
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sheikher
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 291
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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The public "express" buses conduct a milk run on every route.
Display your passport every time you purchase a ticket, whether transport by bus or train. Likewise whenever you check into a hotel. Big Brudder is watching! |
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sheikher
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 291
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Those dates by Arabic calendar on visas must be regarded with utmost meticulous care! The calendar can unwittingly (to you) change depending on the wax and wane of the moon and you could be forced to pay a penalty. |
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sinemac
Joined: 14 Aug 2009
Posts: 21
Location: Menorca,Spain
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| Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:10 am Post subject: |
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| sheikher wrote: |
All about various and sundry visas -- and all things expatriate -- from an authoritative voice:
http://workinginsaudiarabia.blogspot.com/search?q=visa
ENTRY VISA: To legally work, you need to apply for an entry-for-employment-with-a-licensed-business type visa which requires an extensive medical test and heaps of embassy-endorsed documents and police check, etc. This entry visa allows you a single entry only and authorizes your sponsor to make a legit "work visa" application which then is used to apply for an iqama (residence permit). These two applications must be processed within 90 days of your arrival during which you are forbidden to exit the Kingdom for a weekend off or vacation. Term of this kind of truly legit work visa and iqama is the term of your contract, and the benefits are enormous. The iqama allows you to open a bank account and hire an car, keep the police smiling, etc. For a multiple entry/exit work visa, you pay extra. I think it's SAR500 US$135 as compared with SAR100. Some sponsors will require you to pay this extra fee. If no one cares to, you stay in KSA.
BUSINESS VISA: A 3-month business visa (also known in vernacular as a business visit visa) does not require a medical and is generally used for a short-term visit for "business consultation" purposes. Think power lunches, inspections of jointly owned projects, etc. It is remarkably customary among some teacher recruitment agents to offer you a contract and sponsor this type of visa. Illegal! Some universities outsource the ESL teacher recruitment contracts. The sponsor who is the subcontractor illegally authorizes (by letter of invitation addressed to the Saudi embassy) to secure quick entry.
In the case of 3-month business visas, often the entry is via Bahrain where complicit visa agents can be of assistance to the sponsor. After entry to KSA, you must exit every 30 days to get a stamp in your passport. After 3 months, you go to the visa agent again. After 6 months, again. Etc. Within each 3-month period, you go the border very 30 days to get stamped. It's quite some scam. Teaching is not consultation, no matter how extensive your imagination. Look at the website above and refer to the paragraphs under "more on visas".
There have been cases when teachers go on a visa run to Bahrain and their applications are rejected. Their personal effects have to be abandoned and their flight home is their own responsibility.
The entire visa application rigmarole is paid for by your sponsor, as are airfares and health insurance. These are legal obligations. Read the Labor laws pdf attachment in an earlier thread. If you've paid for a medical and/or police check back home, and accommodation in Bahrain or wherever, keep receipts. These expenses may not necessarily be the sponsor's legal financial obligation, but if he does not cough up, you may interpret his refusal as indicative of a shady character whose management skills you might question in the future.
Stephen Jones, have you any emendations or amendments? |
I can't find anything about FEMALES' permission to bring in their spouse and dependants on a visitors visa...frustrated! |
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sheikher
Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 291
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