Job Discussion Forums

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Have a look at these 2 paragraphs from travelvisapro:

http://www.travelvisapro.com/blog/saudi-arabia-2/

1) A residence visa will be needed if you intend to live or relocate to Saudi Arabia. This is probably one of the most uncommon visas as not many individuals are invited to live in Saudi Arabia for a length of time. This is a special invitation which will come from the Ministry of Interior and is usually associated with work or those relocating to be with ones who work in Saudi Arabia. Many call the invitation the long yellow form, as it will always be yellow and is twice as long as a normal piece of paper. This invitation will allow the individual to travel to Saudi Arabia and once you enter the E gate immigration, you will be given an Iqama card. This card serves as your identification in Saudi Arabia and shows that you are a valid resident. It is recommended to keep this card on your person at all times.

2) By far the most difficult and complicated visa for Saudi Arabia is a work visa. This visa is presented to those who have been offered a work contract with a Saudi company. This is entirely different then a business visa, as a work visa means you will be paid directly by a Saudi firm. Getting a work visa is very lengthy process and will start with an individual having an interview with a Saudi recruiting firm, who will then refer your resume to a Saudi company. If the company deems the candidate suitable for their needs, they will furnish an employment contract. Once the employment contract has been accepted, the company in Saudi will provide the candidate with a visa block invitation letter, which will have the job title, type of passport held, and the corresponding visa number. Once the invitation letter has been received, the candidate will now need to complete the rest of the steps to apply for a Saudi visa. This will include a comprehensive medical exam, a police report, gathering the necessary certifications/degrees, and many other pertinent documents. It is in your best interest to contact Travel Visa Pro as soon as you have received the visa block, as they do expire in 60 days from issuance.

In paragraph one they make it seem like with a residence visa you get the Iqama at the airport as you enter the country. Really? Does that mean your Iqama is processed before your entry (work) visa is given to you? That would be nice. Has anybody here had such a visa? If you go here:

http://www.saudiembassy.net/services/residence_visa_aspx.aspx

and look at number 10, it looks like you have to get a work visa in order to apply for a residence visa and that you can get your residence visa before entering Saudi, but the residence visa does not equal an Iqama, as the residence visa is issued by Foreign Affairs, and the Iqama is issued by Interior. What good is a residence visa if you have to apply for a work visa to get one, and the work visa will get you in the country long enough to get an Iqama? If Foreign Affairs approves a residence visa, does that mean Interior told them an Iqama has been pre-approved? But you would have first had to get a work permit from Labor, and I thought you could only do that after arrival in Saudi. Maybe not?

With the work visa described in paragraph two, do you apply for the Iqama after entering the country? I thought it always worked that way. The Labor Ministry issues the work visa, gives it to Foreign Affairs, who sends it to an embassy for you to collect if you present the right papers. The work visa gets you in the country, where you then apply to Labor for the work PERMIT. With the work permit you can go to Interior to apply for your Iqama. Only thing is, Labor and Foreign Affairs might have approved you, but then Interior does not, and after a few weeks you have to leave.

Paragraph two also says for a work visa your salary must come diectly from a Saudi company. What if you work for an American company like Raytheon? No work visa? That doesn't sound right. I think foreign companies authorized to do business in Saudi also can arrange work visas.

[scot47]

Iqama is processed by your employer after your arrival in KSA. It can be done in a few days. Foreign companies operate through Saudi companies in KSA and it will probably be a Saudi company that processes youir Iqama for you.

[Sirens of Cyprus]

I'm most interested in the idea of being pre-approved for an Iqama before deployment. This residence visa seems like it might fill the bill.

[scot47]

If there is such a procedure it must be new. i think it more likley that your source got it wrong. Raytheon presumably have special links with Saudi Min of DEf. Who knows ?

[nomad soul]

[Sirens of Cyprus]

So? I do not want to be pre-approved for employment. I assume that if Labor issues the work visa and permit and sends the permit to Interior, then Interior could issue the Iqama before I deploy, and I could collect it upon arrival at the airport. But it does seem odd that on the one hand the website says the residence permit does not grant permission to work, but on the other hand one must get a work visa in order to get the residence permit.

[nomad soul]

[scot47]

You as employee will have no say in the way things are applied for or processed. Leave it to people who know what they are doing - and who read write and speak Arabic.

[meInst]

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Nope. There was a period when Raytheon did direct hire, but then they went back to SALTS.