Working Visit Visa Procedure

I think you need to elaborate the case:

Why did they needed the Pakistani company name. What company name did you provide; was it some recruitment agency?

'Persons' don't have to register with the Chamber of Commerce.

Are you an engineer; if yes, are you registered with the Engineering Council?

Have your potential hiring KSA company specified some profession name/title on which they'll issue the visa?

Answers to these questions will help me guide you better.

I am writing the answers against you queries !

Why did they needed the Pakistani company name. What company name did you provide; was it some recruitment agency?

>> Because they said this is the Working Visit Visa so they need the Foriegn Company name in order to process the visa, and also told me that your local company shall provide you the letter of authorization.No, Its not recruitment agency.
Should it be recruitment agency ?

'Persons' don't have to register with the Chamber of Commerce.

>>Yes, this company is not registered with Chamber of Commerce

Are you an engineer; if yes, are you registered with the Engineering Council?

>>I am not an engineer, I have Masters In Information Technology Degree.

Have your potential hiring KSA company specified some profession name/title on which they'll issue the visa?

>>Yes they are giving me the Title of Software Programmer on Visa.


Moreover I have 5 years of Experience in the same field.

I shall be grateful to you if you guide me in this matter, beacuse I have already the left my previous job, and hardly arranged the another company who is willing to provide such documents for this position.

Yes, that makes sense now. Please communicate with the KSA employer and provide them the CoC registered company (if not done yet).

They are issuing the invitation letter etc. It will take roughly between 1-2 months. While getting the visa stamped in Saudi Embassy, they'll need educational certifites (duly attested) proving that you got sufficient education and experience to claim to be a computer programmer.

Thanks for the quick help :

I have educational certificates attested by Foreign Office & Higher Education Commission and have relevant experience certificate.

But ..

Is there any other way to avoid this step means CoC registered company? because I searched alot but not found the CoC registered IT company so far.

Is there any other process other then Letter of Invitation which I should told to KSA employeer ?

Is the Letter of Invitation is reliable way to call the person from foreign country ?

 

Please help I shall be grateful to you!

The 'Letter of Invitation' is the most convenient means for companies in KSA.

Did they say 'Work Visa'? I doubt that they are talking about a short-term business (visit) visa.

Anyways, your best bet is to talk to the KSA company. If you don't get a CoC registered company, be transparent and tell them the case. It will save you from troubles in the coming period.

al-right!

Yes they said they are sending the WORKING VISIT VISA.

Is the Short-Term Business (Visit) Visa?

Yes, that's a different visa and the proper name is 'Business visa'. The validity will be 90 days max.

In that case, you won't have to go through the above mentioned  long validation procedures and the visa must be stamped within 2 weeks max from the date on the invitation letter.

I guess they're gonna offer you a probation period.

Yes you are very right they are offering me the Probation Period of 3 months that is equal to 90 Days.

Now I got your point. Means for this visa I still needs the CoC registered firm. Right?


Thanks Alot for your help ! May ALLAH ALMIGHTY richly bless you! Ameen!

And one more thing finally,

I just got the know the company that is related to Pharmaceutical company and registered to CoC and they are willing me to provide such letters which are needed by Embassy.

Is it Ok ? or the company main business should be IT ?

I m considering a job offer in KSA, am from Pakistan and holds a masters degree in commerce and a diploma/certification in banking.

I suspect one question which need to be answered.

For some reasons I do not have my Intermediate (higher secondary certificate)however i do have the photocopy of marks sheet.

Can anyone guide me does this creates any hurdle while applying for a working visa in KSA?

regards

HSE is not highest degree. Nothing to get worried about. Your Master degree is the only important one.

Thanx bro for your reply,
someone said that you should have to have all original documents (from matric to highest level).

one more question:
My name on all educational documents is Zuhaib whereas my name on all experience certificates, passport and job offer letter in Zohaib.

does this hurdle?

thanx in advance,

Then forget about 'Zuhaib' and stick to the passport name
I;ve a strong feeling that you'll not face problems in getting Masters degree attested. It's not that strict.

But hey, do remember, your name on iqama may surprize you some day....It may be Zihuayb and you'll like to bang your head on the wall :d This happened with me.

Thanx buddy,
Hoping for the best..

Bro wanted to know that:

When an employer is providing the Medical Insurance to his expat employee and his family,
does this include only major surgeries and hospitalization
OR
it also includes the OPDs, medicines and minor sicknesses?
Do employee need to pay somthing or not a single penny?

regards

It covers almost everything [OPD, lab tests, medicines] and is detailed in the insurance policy booklet you get along with the cards.

For example: There might be coverage of 15,000 SAR max for a child delivery. YOU have to pay any amount exceeding that limit.

Yes, normally, you have to pay a small portion, have a look at my visit to doc last week.

Doctor Fee: 100 SAR
Insurance paid: 85 SAR
I Paid: 15 SAR
(For any covered hospitals doctor consultation fee, the max amount hospital can charge me is 25 SAR [per policy])

Medicine Prescription: 240
Insurance Paid: 204
I paid: 36
--------
Exceptions: There are some lab tests/medicines which are not covered. And some others where an on-demand approval is required from the insurance company. For example, mouth freshners are seldom covered in insurance policies.

Seperate clauses exist in the insurance policy booklet for dental and optics. Generally, simple plain lens are covered in insurance. If you need something better, insurance will cover till a specific limit (say 200 SAR).

I hope you'd have got a good idea

Thanx bro for the detailed reply,
I hope am not bothering u by asking such basic questions, as I never been to KSA.....

Is it the norm of KSA to appoint expat on annual renewal contracts, do anything to worry abt when employer is hiring u via such contract? as this job is the bread and butter fo anyone, who is cuming to KSA after leaving behind a permenant job in Pakistan?
Employer is a renowed bank of Riyadh.

zhyder wrote:

I hope am not bothering u by asking such basic questions, as I never been to KSA.....

Nop, you aren't.

Yes, it's quite common to hire people on annually renewable contracts.

Job security is a constant concern after the recent introduction of new saudization laws encapsuled in a program called 'Nitaqat'. The unemployment in locals is getting horrible everyday and I agree that the govt will have to take measures. They are proceeding by sectors like HR professions are mostly with Saudis now. Accounting/Finance is moving fast and unfortunately Banking sector is under huge restructing all around.

I have seen expat banking professionals worried over their job securities. The safest advice: Plan carefully, better don't plan a LONG-term settlement....and last but not the least, try not to fall in one-directional love.

Thanx bro,
will get in touch with u.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

try not to fall in one-directional love.

What does this mean?

Come on Allie, u know what I mean. Let it be ambiguous for many

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Come on Allie, u know what I mean. Let it be ambiguous for many

I don't know what you mean--seriously!

What is "Mandatory Skill test for renewal of Iqama in KSA for every expat" now whts this **** is.

zhyder wrote:

What is "Mandatory Skill test for renewal of Iqama in KSA for every expat" now whts this **** is.

References plz.

Ref: workinginsaudiarabia.blogspot.com/2012/04/skill-test-for-iqama-renewal-in-saudi.html

Moreover regarding Nitaqat, I trust the banking sector in green zone, if an employer is hiring an expat it means that he definately in green zone, i beleive nothing to worry regarding Nitaqat, but uncertinities do exists in all walks of life...

This is more official as compared to the blogspot page: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article613520.ece

The colors are assigned based on criteria defined for various business types/sectors. I recall seeing 90% saudi rqr for banking sector somewhere. I've been trying to search that table in my PC; no luck yet.

Rules change here over-night and so can the criteria. Any sector green now can get a higher saudization ratio requirement any time. Also the other way they are proceeding is check on professions like 'No Sales Reps except Saudis'. This complicates things further.

Anyways, the bottomline is: Keep fingers crossed & hope for the best; what else?

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Rules change here over-night and so can the criteria.

The only thing you can be sure of in Saudia is that there is nothing you can be sure of! 

I once read a job posting for a position in KSA and one of the requisites for the candidate was, "must be comfortable with ambiguity."  BINGO!

Thanx mate, am yet to decided to come KSA, however the offer is from a local bank in KSA, i hope there is not much complication regarding saudization as most of the employees r saudis.

and yes fingers crossed upto finalization, i must say ur comments r really helpful.

keep in touch

Dear LegendLeads,

I need to discuss with u one more problem which arose recently.
Today I got my fresh passport, but they have misspled by Surname as'JAFFARI' instead of 'JAFFRI'.

am worried whether it can cause any problem in issuing my work visa or family visa thereafter?

worthless to mention here the Pakistani Procedure for change of name.

zhyder wrote:

Dear LegendLeads,

I need to discuss with u one more problem which arose recently.
Today I got my fresh passport, but they have misspled by Surname as'JAFFARI' instead of 'JAFFRI'.

am worried whether it can cause any problem in issuing my work visa or family visa thereafter?

worthless to mention here the Pakistani Procedure for change of name.

As Alliecat said:

Alliecat wrote:

The only thing you can be sure of in Saudia is that there is nothing you can be sure of!

Am not sure but do give it a shot. Nothing can be said about people who match the symmetry of English alphabets/numbers

True,
but its the surname, I wonder they lookupon the surnames also, i have heard that they issue visas according to passport number. is that so?

I would always want my passport correct but to be honest in Saudi they frequently give you different names or dates of birth even gender changes in some cases so I dont think it will be of issue with regards to you visa etc

Within KSA is slightly different. I'm afraid this will be his first ever visa for KSA and everything is digital now. Also depends on the mood of the processing person

@Loopy, thanx mate.

@legend: to whom ur refering?

The person who reviews your documents in Saudi Embassy Pk. He may pop up an objection. I hope he doesn't.

yes hope so.
ok let the time come, however in any worst situation i still have an option to apply for new passport, hope I get through and if so, I trust the problem cannot arise either when calling my family to KSA, coz all my family member's passports also showing my surname.

Hi,
I got the contract and the visa slip & am required to attest the degree from saudi consulate but before this I need to attest my degree from HEC-Islamabad and they (HEC-Pakistan) need all original documents,As LegendLeads said:

TheLegendLeads wrote:

HSE is not highest degree. Nothing to get worried about. Your Master degree is the only important one.

its actually true but the attestation from saudi authorities is not possible by escaping the attestation from Pakistani authorities.

now am acually asking is that any timeline within which I have to submit all the documents to agent for visa processing. Coz i have applied to get my Intermediate certificate which i will get in a month or so...
also in how much i have to leave the country after Visa Stamping (on passport)?

thankx in advance.

Dear Legend
I am also being offered "Visit Work Visa". Kindly tell me if visa (slip shall be released to an agent in pakistan) should be released just before my departure date. Or it can be released 1 month before too.

Secondly, Is this "Visit Work visa" required to be protected from pakistan visa protection office.

Thirdly, is this visa converted to iqama or i shall have to exit for permanent work visa.

Thanks and Regards

khokhar wrote:

Dear Legend
I am also being offered "Visit Work Visa". Kindly tell me if visa (slip shall be released to an agent in pakistan) should be released just before my departure date. Or it can be released 1 month before too.

Secondly, Is this "Visit Work visa" required to be protected from pakistan visa protection office.

Thirdly, is this visa converted to iqama or i shall have to exit for permanent work visa.

Thanks and Regards

Visit work visa or business visit visa will be issued from the ministry (MOFA) first and then send to you. You need to process / endorse this in your passport with the Saudi Embassy in Pakistan. This process could take 2 - 4 weeks in Pakistan.

Once you have the visa endorsed you should leave within a month of the issue date and travel to KSA. Visit visa need not be protected from Protector of Immigrants.

Visit visa can be converted to work visa / residence permit in KSA, but happens only very rarely and your company / sponsor would have to be connected well for that. Normally you exit the country on visit visa and go through another "cycle" of work visa processing.