Job Discussion Forums

[miriamluv]

Hi Everyone!

My husband and I just signed our first contracts in Saudi Arabia. We are really excited about coming and have been reading tons of books, blogs, and posts from this forum. It has been really insightful and thought provoking. Thanks for all the great tips that have been posted by people in the past!

Anyways, here is my question. We are coming from South Korea, and our new employer mentioned that we could probably get our visas without returning back to the states. He said that since we have Korean residency cards, our residency here could possibly transfer over to Saudi. Has anyone ever heard of this or tried it?? I am just wondering, because from what I have read about the medical checks, they would be way cheaper to obtain them in Korea versus the USA.

Also, if we need to do the paperwork in the USA, does anyone have a guess as to how long it would take to get the medical check up and other paperwork? I am just wondering, because we don't have that much time between contracts. Any suggestions about the visa and medical stuff would be really great!

[cam]

When I went to Saudi I did not return to my home country to get my visa. I was able to get it in a foreign country. So I think being a resident of Korea, you will be able to abtain your visa for Saudi there.

You should contact the Saudi embassy in Seoul and ask to be sure.

[dutchman]

Technically it's possible to get a Saudi visa from any country in the world as long as you are a resident in that country and your employer is willing to go through the necessary red tape. (But the requirements for a work visa can change from embassy to embassy. So, for example, the Saudi embassy in Seoul may require more documents than the one in Washington D.C).

[Linguist]

At times, it can be a blessing in disguise to get your visa in Seoul than having to go back to the States. As far as I know, it is possible. I know people who have done that even when they were not even residents in the country where the visas were sent. However, it depends a lot on your employer as he is the one who will have to reroute a block visa from the States to Seoul.

[miriamluv]

So I called the embassy, and apparently it may be possible . . . . even they were not totally sure, but they think it is possible.

So anyways, the document list that they need is actually much shorter than the list for the documents I would need from the USA. Apparently, if you have lived in Korea for 6 months, than you can apply for a work visa for Saudi while in Korea.

I will post again after it works, or if I get told to do it in the states.

[Linguist]

Did it work?

[miriamluv]

So we are almost finished with getting out Saudi visas in Korea. We are Americans, but the agent we are going through said that anyone can get their visas here. All people applying for Saudi Arabian visas MUST go through an agent.

In truth, it is actually much less paperwork to get your visas while in Korea vs. the USA! We found an English speaking agent in Seoul. She is located near Chungjeongno Station. Here is her information:

HANA INTERNATIONAL T&S

TEL: 02-365-1549
FAX: 02-6356-3704
EMAIL: Hana-International TnS <[email protected]>

DIRECTION: Chungjeongno Station (Line 2), Exit 3, Enter the O'ville building which is next to the exit, go to basement floor 1, suite 136

Here is a list of the documents you need when you are obtaining your visa in Seoul:

Document required for a work visa:

1. Completed application form

2. Two recent photographs, passport size with a white background.

3. Valid passport (that is valid for more than one year)

4. Request for work visa (free style letter, written by you, to the saudi embassy-containing: passport information, position, saudi company's name, address,telephone number, etc. )

5. Certificate of work experience or certificate of employment (issued by company you work for in Korea) ( The document needs to be in English, and include the name of the school, school stamp, your personal information, and how long you have worked there.)

6. Graduation certificate (original) (only your highest diploma . . . they don�t need the other ones, because they have already been authorized in the past by the Korean government. They don�t need our TESOL/TEFL certificates either.)

7. Resume / CV (free style)

8. Medical Certificate(basic physical information plus test results for HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis(HBS ag, HBS ab) and tuberculosis issued by General Hospital in Korea) (This should be in English.)

9. Visa fee slip (color copy or scanned by e-mail) (FROM SAUDI ARABIA)

10. Copy of Employment contract(color copy or scanned by e-mail) (FROM SAUDI ARABIA)

11. Korean Resident Card and a copy of your resident card.

Okay, I hope this helps anyone who is in Korea trying to get your documents done!

[scot47]

This depends ENTIRELY on your employer. If you are working for KFUPM for example, it is not a problem.

I have British nationality but was resident in the Balkans for many years. I processed my Saudi visa appliocation through the KSA Consulate in Istanbul.

If you have a 2nd or 3rd rate employer, there may be problems. Consider it as a litmus test.

[gloomyGumi]

I know of several litmus tests that measure whether or not Istanbul is in the Balkans.