Job Discussion Forums

hawlermonkey · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 34

What is the longest time you have heard of someone waiting for a Saudi Visa?

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

A friend of mine waited for a year!!!! That was from Taibah, mind you...

About 3 months is probably the average as it has to go thru Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh, then Office of Work to see if no Saudi can do your job etc...

That's BEFORE any embassy/consulate stuff...

PATIENCE, PATIENCE AND PATIENCE.

To our respected senior colleagues:

Was it like this back in the glory days of the 80s & 90s?

Also, about the fingerprint scanning malarkey from Jawzat, a rather optimistic Egyptian colleague of mine thought it was one step closer to scrapping the kafalah (sponsor) system. In that that is how Uncle Bandar would keep tabs on you.

And there is renewed talk of the weekend being changed to Friday-Saturday. (how long has that been going on for?!) All this before our Uncle Abdullah dies in order to leave a lasting legacy etc...

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject:

12 months is the longest plus she possibly waited the previous summer months to total 14 months.

6 months is the next from an Australian who just came.

Mine was 3 weeks from start to finish, including the medical.

I was in Beijing at the Olympics, returned to Canada on Aug. 16th/08, and completed the medical, got the seal from the college of physicians on the med. report, notarized the documents by a lawyer, finger prints/criminal check, FedEx'd it all by August 25th and had the passport with visa in hand by Sept 5th/08. There was a stat holiday in there too and I missed a document that I later faxed.

Two of my friends applications were considerably longer as both of their medicals were not fully completed and both were rejected (one USanian and one Canuckian). They had to go back to their respective doctors and do additional tests which added two weeks for one fella and I don't recall for the other. Both, however, were not late for their start dates.

mts.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:07 pm Post subject:

Dear Asda,
I first went to the Kingdom in 1980, was there through '87, and then through most of the 90s.
I was probably even a little worse back in the old days - no e-mail (we didn't get it at the IPA until '97), but actually, e-mail probably just means they can ignore your communications for a longer time.
Regards,
John

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Good one...

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In 1970 I wan interviewed, approved and visa-ed in a period of 2 or 3 days. Educational Attache in London - in the days when they recruited for secondary and intermediate schools.

The world was younger then.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:33 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47,

" . . . I wan interviewed . . ."

Any relation to Obi Wan?

" . . . interviewed, approved and visa-ed in a period of 2 or 3 days."

And surely you submitted that to the Guinness World Book, I hope.

"The world was younger then."

The world and we, too, old amigo.

Regards,
John

Kipling · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:51 am Post subject: Visa

Hi,
My son and I are UK citizens and my wife is Indonesian. Will we be able to get a KSA visa in China where we are currently living or will we have to return to our countries of origin? Confused

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

This depends on your employer and on the Saudi Embassy. Your residential status in China may also have a bearing on it.

When I had my visa processed in a country of which I am not a citizen I had to prove that I was a bona-fide resident.

Kipling · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:09 am Post subject: Visa

Thanks Sot47......... we have a Z Visa in China which is residential so that seems to be ok. It would save an immense amount of time (an money) if
we could get the visa in Beijing. KFUPM will be my employer Laughing

Kipling · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:10 am Post subject:

Whoops ...that should be Scot47...mea culpa maxima. Very Happy

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:04 pm Post subject:

"Sot47"! I love it! Laughing

NCTBA

007 · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject:

Indeed, Uncle Scott is a Sword of Truth (Sot), he does not belong to the Society of Toxicology (Sot) of the Magic Kingdom! Laughing

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You may have mistaken me for "Selim the Sot" who was a descendant (son ?) of Sulieman Kanuni ("The Magnificent" in English Terminology). Selim was called "the sot" for obvious reasons. Mind you I suspect that his subjects did not address him using that epithet. You would havwe to be very brave or foolhardy to upset the "Grand Turk".

Incidentally I too was a sot until 19 years back I plugged the bottle. I now lead a life of righteous sobriety. Oh God it is hard to be humble................

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA