ikh
Member
Posts: 17
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Post by ikh on Mar 2, 2014 16:57:20 GMT
HI USPE,
I checked with my relocation advisor last week, but no updates as such. Anyone else any updates?
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Post by erdna_oaoj on Mar 2, 2014 20:54:40 GMT
ikh,
The only update is that the visa blocks were not yet released.
Patience, this things take time but they will eventually be released.
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Post by drillingtr on Mar 3, 2014 16:00:38 GMT
i am also waiting for my visa block number. Last I checked with my relo rep 3 weeks ago , she said in 2 weeks , but nothing yet. I am optmistic tho , about this week. Good Luck.  |
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Hero55
Advanced Member
Posts: 90
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Post by Hero55 on Mar 5, 2014 5:46:46 GMT
Hi all
I am still waiting since October. My planned arrival date was Dec 2013 which is already passed !!!
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Post by David_and_Nita on Mar 7, 2014 11:47:51 GMT
We are on the visa le waiting list as well.
When did this visa le thing start? We had an arrival date of 03/31 now moved out pending a visa le.
May we know what this is about?
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Post by iraksllew on Mar 7, 2014 15:05:33 GMT
Hero55: I was also expecting to leave before Dec. 31. (Interviewed in Aug., got official offer docs in Oct., submitted passport in Dec. and was hoping to depart soon after.)
I was told last week that the Saudi govt. needed something from SA, so that is why there was a (recent) delay; however, it is not unusual to wait up to 8 weeks for your visa le.
As I understand it, your degree must match your job le. That le is registered "in" your visa. All visa les in a particular group must be 'satisfied' before the Saudi govt. sends the block to ASC (if in North America). Then your passport is sent off to your local embassy to have the visa placed in it. This can take 2+ weeks.
I worked as a consultant for SA in DHA for 18 months last year (different visa required), and I can confirm that EVERYTHING about Saudi Arabia requires more patience than you can imagine.
We're all waiting, we're all frustrated, but we WILL all get there!
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Post by Parker Means on Mar 8, 2014 23:45:39 GMT
For those of you 'in the know,' are the delay in Visa les *really* just about long bureaucratic processes?
Do you think this has anything to do with:
a. the goal of the Saudi government wanting to decrease the # of expats working in the KSA -- see various articles in the Arab News
b. the tense relations between the KSA government and USA? (Obama's visit to KSA late March 2014)
I interviewed back in May 2013... offer in August... revised offer in Sept... Orientation and medical screening in Oct 2013... first was told my Visa le was requested back in Sept... then was corrected it was requested in November 2013... was told I'd arrive by year's end. At least one member of my team (Dept) in DH did leave in Dec. 2013 (He had the same Visa le as I did but with a higher grade code.)
Feb 2014, had to redo my medicals because it had been more than 3 months (Oct 2013). Passed.
This week- March 5, 2014, my Relo Advisor says:
"I haven’t received visa any visa les for any of my candidates since last year, and I have a wide variety of grade codes .
Also, the only visa les we have seen recently are ones that we get from candidates who have been dropped or drop out of processing. When that happens we are able to use their le for someone else who will need that exact same le.
We haven’t seen any NEW visa les in a long time."
Since my original offer back in Aug, I've been waiting 7+ months. Is this typical? Usual?
Appreciate any insights from those "in the know..."
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Post by tvdloo on Mar 9, 2014 12:56:25 GMT
I have been told by my relocation advisor in ASC that my visa le (Financial yst) was applied for on January 14th, and I have received no indication that it will arrive at any time whether it be sooner or later.
My relocation advisor had told me she knew of people who have been waiting for their visa les since as far back as November 2013, and I would love it if somebody could chime in regarding processing times beyond stating that we all just have to be patient.
I am just curious as of this point how long someone could realistically have to wait for a visa le in the worst case scenario, especially since you have to add the processing time of the actual Saudi work visa at the consulate itself on top of this before you can start work?
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Post by boban on Mar 9, 2014 17:52:36 GMT
Hey TVDLOO, I have the information that its in the hands of Government now, and nobody can tell what will be the time line. I signed my contract in September, cleared everything by November, and I was told that I will probably join by the end of 2013.....And still, after few months I am waiting for the visa block. What I can say, as I live in Bahrain now and hear a lot of news from the region, there was a huge crackdown in KSA recently against illegal workers ( www.albawaba.com/news/saudi-arabia-illegal-workers-538171 ) , so I think that was also a big issue that slowed down the whole process.... We can't do anything about it, but I think it must happen sooner or later, and that we will start the journey and have a BBQ in Abqaiq before the Saudi summer kicks in  Cheers! |
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Post by JeffSteiner on Mar 10, 2014 12:37:55 GMT
o all,
Heard back from my relocation adviser this morning (local Canada) that even they are surprised and frustrated by the delay in le blocks. In Houston, they have received nothing since December and that was early in December.
I do not believe that the "crackdown on illegal immigrants" has anything to do with it per se, but it is a bureaucracy -- the same Immigration department or departments involved -- so it likely has to do with the paperwork and processing OUT of those whom they are deporting. From what I have read, it is considered a priority in the Kingdom; we are but a small minority compared to the reported thousands who are either being expelled or who are desperately still trying to remain. On top of the number already in KSA who are either waiting for, or needing to extend/renew an iqama.
I know that it is a downer to hear, but as my adviser has said, "it will happen when it happens". And insh, it will all be worth the wait.
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Post by David_and_Nita on Mar 10, 2014 18:34:21 GMT
Our relo advisor (Houston) told us late last week that there are over a hundred pending visa les, some going back for weeks/months.
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Post by vpainter on Mar 10, 2014 18:47:41 GMT
Parker Means, I do not think the visa delays is about KSa not wanting expats. I also do not believe it has anything to do with Obama's visit.
Visa applications have always taken time. We have been here since 2000 and the visa timeline has always been long or short. Who knows why. We have applied for visas for our college age kids, who have come repeatedly and the visas have taken up to 4 months to get. We always apply 6 months in advance. I have been on this forum since 2002, people have posted the length of time it takes to get a visa for new hires has been as short as 2 weeks and as long as 6 - 8 months.
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Post by ritzkool on Mar 11, 2014 2:49:48 GMT
Hi all,
I hope this finds you all well and it's been quite a while since I chipped in. Rest assured, I have been following this thread with great interest as I too have been waiting for my visa block since I received my offer back in September.
Just got a flicker of good news yesterday from my relocation advisor in London.
She said the latest update they received is that the KSA government will finally release the long awaited visa block in two weeks time. Meaning we can expect it before the end of March ( willing).
Let's continue to pray. Pray really hard...
Boban - let's do this BBQ in Abqaiq when we are there!
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Post by David_and_Nita on Mar 11, 2014 9:29:52 GMT
If we hear something from them we will give a heads up.
Not really expecting anything this week though.
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Post by Parker Means on Mar 11, 2014 16:29:44 GMT
Thanks for your update/posting, vpainter and Ritzkool.
I spoke to one of the Visa coordinators in Houston yesterday and also heard "the 2 week" "news". Frankly, I'm so tired of hearing "in two weeks .... " "in a month..." "by the end of ...." Why do they even tell us false news instead of just saying "I don't know" instead of raising faults hopes?
I also learned that Blocks of Visa les come in various numbers: 60, 100, 120, 160, or whatever # etc. Who know how big the "next" block will be "in 2 weeks." And if one Visa le has an error, like the incorrect gender, then only that "one" Visa le is rejected. (So I'm told.)
And I also learned that some "gender-neutral" job les are gender-specific when it comes to the Visa le. (I shouldn't be surprised by that; but it was new information for me.)
And the biggest "new" news I learned: Is that "it takes time--4-6 weeks--to put together the Block of Visa les, and DH can only apply during 'certain dates' to get a Block of Visa les; Dharhan are given certain dates to apply for a Block of Visa les by the KSA government. Wish I had know THAT back in Orientation last fall...
And this isn't my first overseas assignment, so I expect the unknown, surprises, delays, bureaucracy, etc... I just don't understand why ASC can't be straight with us if they clearly are tasked with recruiting, attracting and keeping top talent.
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