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[nomad soul]

Expat family visa conditions outlined
By M.D. Al-Sulami, Arab News | 25 March 2015
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/722986

JEDDAH//The Ministry of Interior has outlined the online procedures for expatriates seeking family visit visas for their wives and minor children. Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Naif, second deputy premier and interior minister, launched the service last month to reduce time and effort for expatriates and their sponsors.

Applicants have to visit the ministry’s portal and activate their Abshir account, the e-services administration of the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. They have to choose the icon for recruitment, then one for visa requests. After sending the request, an applicant should print the form, have it signed by his sponsor and endorsed by any chamber of commerce or other authorized agency within 30 days. The ministry would confirm approval by sending a text message to the applicant.

Other criteria include applicants having their iqamas, valid for the next 90 days. All children brought to the Kingdom must be under 18.

(End of article)

[nomad soul]

Additionally, per the Ministry of Interior's website (http://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/portal/home):

Residence permit (iqama) rules and regs:

1. Employers must obtain residence permits for their employees to enable them move freely in the city where they work.

2. When an employee travels outside the Kingdom on a entry visa, the employer must keep the employee’s residence permit until his return to Saudi Arabia. To obtain a final exit visa, the residence permit is submitted to the passports authority with a final exit visa request form.

3. If the passport or residence permit is lost, the incident must be reported to the passports authority within 24 hours. If there is no passport authority in the neighborhood, the incident must be reported to the nearest police station. Violators of the rule are punished according to established law.

4. Residence permits must be renewed 3 days before expiration date. First-time violators pay a fine equals to the renewal charge. The fine is doubled in case of a second violation. If a resident violates the rule 3 times, deportation will be his punishment.

5. Householder’s residence permit includes permit for his wife and legal minors (sons and daughters.) The householder’s son and / or daughter above the age of 18 years must be a passport holder and obtain a separate visa after paying the applicable fee.

6. A resident alien must present the residence permit to passports officers at their request; otherwise, he will be punished according to the established law.

7. The resident must keep the residence permit safely and never hand it to others. Pawning it is strictly prohibited.

8. The resident householder’s dependents are not allowed to work without the permission of the concerned authorities. Violators of the rule are liable to be punished according to the established law.

9. Companies, establishments and individuals must obtain residence and work permits for their employees. It is illegal to employ an alien who does not possess a residence or work permit. Employing individuals who are sponsored by others is a violation of the system.

10. Photographs of dependents must be added to the resident householder’s passport.

11. Lost or damaged residence permits are replaced with new ones, stamped as “Replacement,” validity of which is as same as of the original permit i.e. until the expiry date.

[sicklyman]

wonder how many of these will be applied in practice. Can't see number 10 catching on anytime soon, for example.