Post by Overland on Aug 21, 2012 17:34:57 GMT
For those of you in the process of obtaining a work visa and not understanding why it takes SO long, hopefully this information on how the process works will help set your mind at ease. Information is a powerful thing and this is one topic where there seems to be very little. This is based on my research and a white paper on the topic available from Sophy King (Google "Saudi Arabia Visa Block").
Work visas are issued in "blocks". A company that intends to hire a number of candidates must first submit a request to the Saudi government for a visa "block" permission letter that will permit them to submit their candidates for individual visa review. This process takes 60-90 days. Once the visa "block" letter is issued, processing of the individual candidates takes 15-30 days. Currently, the actual processing time is closer to 30 days for US candidates and 45 days for Canadians.
Here is how it works and why it is a difficult process. Aramco or another employer decides it needs an industrial engineer. They list the job, find and successfully interview a suitable candidate. They then apply for a visa "block" that contains a listing with that exact job position as well as the country where the candidate will be sourced and the consulate where that candidate's application will be submitted (ASC uses Houston in the US). In effect, they need to know exactly who that person will be prior to requesting the block as no subsutions for the job classification, country of origin or consulate will be permitted.
The issued "block letter" will contain numerous positions. I am not sure how many will appear in the typical Aramco block, but my guess is a LOT. As such, they will only periodically issue a block letter. Therefore one can anticipate "block" cycles that accommodate the 60-90 day rotation. That means your application will take less time if your job le is applied for and just makes the tag end of block that the consulate is just about ready to issue. If your job le request is submitted just after a block is released, you will have a much longer wait. My ogy is a street traffic light. If you are lucky, you can make it through the intersection while the light is still on green. If the light turns red and you are first in line at the light, you ultimately wait the longest to get through the intersection. Same with visa blocks... It is all about luck and timing.
Once the "block" is approved via a "block letter", the company must submit their actual candidates to the listed consulate under that "block letter". It contains a "block number" and an expiration date. That candidate must have the exact formal education to match the job le in the block letter (i.e. an "industrial engineer" candidate must have transcripts that have adequate engineering classes included within it), and be from the country listed. In addition, candidates must pass the medical screening required by KSA that is done as part of the ASC medical examination (blood and stool testing).
If for some reason the candidate does not match all the categories listed for the job on the block letter, their visa is denied. That requires the process to start all over again as is occurring my case. The job le they submitted my visa application under did not match my education transcripts. Another block is then applied for (60-90 days for approval of the block) and then the candidate's individual visa is reviewed for consistency with the block (15-45 days for the approval of the individual visa).
Naturally, this 2.5 to 4.5 month long process does not conclude once the initial visa is approved. The candidate must apply for an Igama upon arrival in the Kingdom. That topic is fully discussed in other threads.
Hopefully this will help you all know why it takes as long as it does from the final offer to the time when you receive your final letter of approval. Aramco and ASC has little control over the visa process. They work within the rules established by the Kingdom.
Wishing you all the best of luck as you continue down this winding path.
Work visas are issued in "blocks". A company that intends to hire a number of candidates must first submit a request to the Saudi government for a visa "block" permission letter that will permit them to submit their candidates for individual visa review. This process takes 60-90 days. Once the visa "block" letter is issued, processing of the individual candidates takes 15-30 days. Currently, the actual processing time is closer to 30 days for US candidates and 45 days for Canadians.
Here is how it works and why it is a difficult process. Aramco or another employer decides it needs an industrial engineer. They list the job, find and successfully interview a suitable candidate. They then apply for a visa "block" that contains a listing with that exact job position as well as the country where the candidate will be sourced and the consulate where that candidate's application will be submitted (ASC uses Houston in the US). In effect, they need to know exactly who that person will be prior to requesting the block as no subsutions for the job classification, country of origin or consulate will be permitted.
The issued "block letter" will contain numerous positions. I am not sure how many will appear in the typical Aramco block, but my guess is a LOT. As such, they will only periodically issue a block letter. Therefore one can anticipate "block" cycles that accommodate the 60-90 day rotation. That means your application will take less time if your job le is applied for and just makes the tag end of block that the consulate is just about ready to issue. If your job le request is submitted just after a block is released, you will have a much longer wait. My ogy is a street traffic light. If you are lucky, you can make it through the intersection while the light is still on green. If the light turns red and you are first in line at the light, you ultimately wait the longest to get through the intersection. Same with visa blocks... It is all about luck and timing.
Once the "block" is approved via a "block letter", the company must submit their actual candidates to the listed consulate under that "block letter". It contains a "block number" and an expiration date. That candidate must have the exact formal education to match the job le in the block letter (i.e. an "industrial engineer" candidate must have transcripts that have adequate engineering classes included within it), and be from the country listed. In addition, candidates must pass the medical screening required by KSA that is done as part of the ASC medical examination (blood and stool testing).
If for some reason the candidate does not match all the categories listed for the job on the block letter, their visa is denied. That requires the process to start all over again as is occurring my case. The job le they submitted my visa application under did not match my education transcripts. Another block is then applied for (60-90 days for approval of the block) and then the candidate's individual visa is reviewed for consistency with the block (15-45 days for the approval of the individual visa).
Naturally, this 2.5 to 4.5 month long process does not conclude once the initial visa is approved. The candidate must apply for an Igama upon arrival in the Kingdom. That topic is fully discussed in other threads.
Hopefully this will help you all know why it takes as long as it does from the final offer to the time when you receive your final letter of approval. Aramco and ASC has little control over the visa process. They work within the rules established by the Kingdom.
Wishing you all the best of luck as you continue down this winding path.
