Job Discussion Forums

[epik_teacher]

Hi. I'm thinking about making a transition from Korea to Saudi. Just wondering if an FBI check is needed for Americans? I need to have an idea of a transition time and how this will slow things down. I understand the visa process is about 3 weeks. Thanks.

[veiledsentiments]

The visa process seems to range from 3 days to a year or more to infinity. It all depends on your employer. As does the requirements for security checks. There is no getting ahead of the game. Apply and then deal with what comes up if you get an acceptable offer.

Just be darned sure to check your employer out completely here on the board and elsewhere on the net. Saudi Arabia has lots of restrictions on entry and exit... and the exit part of it can cause people major problems.

VS

[Badar Bin Bada Boom]

What VS says, plus: there is no FBI check. Background checks performed by your local police or city hall are sufficient for Saudi visa purposes.

[caliph]

If you work for a contractor with US Department of Defense connections, you may need an FBI background check. I needed one for Lockheed International (not Lockheed Arabia), in the early 80s.

[Middle East Beast]

Just make sure that the police report is on their official letterhead/form with their official seal. I once had an otherwise complete package rejected by the Saudi embassy in Washington because the police report wasn't "sufficient."

Also, be prepared for a very thorough physical exam. It's costly and, depending on your employer, you may have to front the bucks for it (I've had a few of 'em, and the cost ranged from $700-$1300). I was always reimbursed after I got to KSA. Make sure you keep all original receipts, and make copies in case they lose the originals.

While enduring each of these extensive physicals, and forking out the bucks as they progressed, I couldn't help but realize that, had something turned up that caused me to be rejected, I would have been saddled with those costs. A chance you take but then, if you're not a risk-taker, perhaps KSA isn't a viable option.

And, yes, the whole process can take months.

It's ironic that some of us jump through so many hoops to get into KSA and then eventually hate living and working there and can't wait for our contracts to end!

It amazed me that, when I got my first job in the UAE, I discovered that I didn't have to do any of the crap I had to do to get the visa for KSA. I simply showed up in Dubai on my employer's ticket. They took care of the visa after I got there, and the only medical exam consisted of a 5-min discussion with a doctor there and a blood test there.

MEB

[veiledsentiments]

[Middle East Beast]