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Post by FlyingScotsman on Jul 5, 2023 7:21:40 GMT
Hi all,
I am due to join Aramco later this month (Corporate Development) and wanted to get some clarity on whether spouses are legally allowed to work for non Aramco employers? My wife is a lawyer and recently got an offer from a leading regional law firm that is happy for her to work out of the Khobar/Dammam offices. Aramco HR has told me she can work but from the messages/threads seen on this group, it appears that spouses can't work on their husband's Iqamas (apparently they need their own Iqama which means losing the family status?) but then have also heard from other sources that they can work - they just need a labour card from the employer. Any help or clarity on this matter would be much appreciated.
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Post by BlueStaff on Jul 5, 2023 9:47:30 GMT
Ultimately you have a choice to believe Aramco HR or a random person posting on this forum.
I know which one I would believe!
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newbee
Advanced Member
Posts: 50
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Post by newbee on Jul 5, 2023 10:31:49 GMT
I am pretty much in the same situation and been told the same thing by Aramco HR, i.e. there is no restriction on your spouse not to be able to work, all they will need to do is get their iqama transferred from being your dependent (if they move with you first) to be under their employers sponsorship as they can’t work under dependent iqama. If the new employer is not able to transfer for whatever reason, then the she will have to go back to the home country and apply from there like you are doing it now. Family status is contingent upon them being in the KSA. At least that is my understanding.
I would just get this clarified by HR on email so that you have it in writing - for whatever its worth!
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jrs
Senior Member
Posts: 369
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Post by jrs on Jul 5, 2023 10:52:22 GMT
This is a topic where you receive various answers and each case where the spouse end up working is different.
It is a fact if a spouse of Aramco employee is able obtain a KSA work visa, gain employment and legally work for company that is based in KSA or required by Saudi govt to work visas to work in Kingdom if it’s a foreign base company, that spouse can no longer be sponsored or attached to the Aramco employee’s iqama via as a dependent. The spouse must be sponsored by the KSA based employer.
Are you sure the law firm is required to sponsor her through an iqama/KSA work visa? If it’s a Saudi based law firm, then most likely yes.
Here is the confusion, concern and maybe not a clear answer from Aramco HR - can the Aramco employee remain on family status, if he or she doesn’t have dependent spouse on his or her iqama because the spouse is sponsored by someone else?
Our personal experience was that I am the Aramco employee and my wife came over as my dependent. She was attached to my iqama and we were on family status. After two months my wife gain employment with a KSA contractor to perform work for Aramco. She obtained a work visa and was removed from my iqama and the Saudi contractor became her new sponsor. Nothing changed in the Aramco HR system as far as family status. We have remained on family status and she has access to JHAH and everything as before transfer.
It may get complicated, if your wife get’s sponsored by the law firm first as far as an KSA work visa/iqama before she gets added as dependent to your iqama and everything gets updated in Aramco HR system.
I recommend your wife first gets added to your iqama. Then get her here and set-up in HR system as a dependent and added to JHAH medical then have her iqama switch to the law firm as the sponsor. I say this because I don’t think there is anything that triggers or notifies Aramco that her iqama sponsorship has changed.
I would get clarification from Aramco, what would happen if wife’s sponsorship changes to a local employer, though? Get clarification that you will keep family status and dependent benefits will remain, if this is of concern for you. We never got a clear answer from HR before my wife accepted and sponsored transferred but it seems everything has remained status quo.
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Post by ghzhujwmao on Jul 5, 2023 11:07:06 GMT
hi JRS, I am wondering whether you can still get compensated for your wife's repat from Aramco. Other than that, I think everything else would be fine.
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jrs
Senior Member
Posts: 369
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Post by jrs on Jul 5, 2023 11:13:47 GMT
Yes, I believe I will still get her repat portion. We will test it in December!
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jrs
Senior Member
Posts: 369
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Post by jrs on Jul 5, 2023 11:38:55 GMT
Ok, scratch everything I said above. After speaking with someone in ARAMCO HR, I believe you can add your spouse as dependent in Aramco HR/medical system w/o you being her sponsor or on your iqama if she is sponsored by someone else in Kingdom for employment purposes; however, she must be in Kingdom at least 180 days or more per year to maintain family status. This is the same requirement for non-working spouses.
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newbee
Advanced Member
Posts: 50
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Post by newbee on Jul 5, 2023 12:42:25 GMT
Ok, scratch everything I said above. After speaking with someone in ARAMCO HR, I believe you can add your spouse as dependent in Aramco HR/medical system w/o you being her sponsor or on your iqama if she is sponsored by someone else in Kingdom for employment purposes; however, she must be in Kingdom at least 180 days or more per year to maintain family status. This is the same requirement for non-working spouses. yes that is exactly what my relocation advisor told me and I mentioned above. For family status, the spouse just needs to be in the kingdom and spend 180 days either on your dependent iqama or under another KSA employer iqama |
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Jul 5, 2023 17:31:10 GMT
Thanks jrs and everyone for the detailed responses, these are very helpful.
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