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Post by Colts18 on Nov 10, 2012 12:59:58 GMT
o folks,
Has anyone gotten visit visas for their parents (from US) lately? What are the requirements and does the ASC office help with this? Or is it better to go through the personnel office. Any advice or tips are appreciated. Thanks.
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Post by vpainter on Nov 10, 2012 20:10:47 GMT
Actually you go through both offices. You go through HR to get the paperwork done on this side. ASC helps with the paperwork on the U.S. side once the approvals are given here. You have to get different forms signed off on, ex: housing. You'll contact ASC and have your parents send their passports and copies of any required documents to them. ASC will get the visas put in and return the passports.
Your parents will need their birth certificates, possibly their marriage license, if there's been a remarry, then depending on whether death or divorce they may have to produce a death certificate or their divorce decree. You might have to produce your birth certificate, or if its you spouse's parents, your spouse's birth certificate. To show they are your parents.
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Post by Colts18 on Jan 5, 2013 12:50:58 GMT
I finally got the approval from the ministry of foreign affairs for my parents visit. Anyone know what the next process is? Who do I contact at ASC?
Thanks.
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Post by Coffeemama on Jan 5, 2013 13:24:01 GMT
Interesting to read what is required for parent visas. Does anyone know if my brothers and their wives can visit?
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Post by Texas786 on Jan 8, 2013 9:21:49 GMT
How long does it take for the whole process? If I want my mother to be here in April 2013, when should I start the process?
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Post by Colts18 on Jan 8, 2013 14:09:44 GMT
About 2 months.
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Post by cacord on Jan 21, 2013 9:22:30 GMT
Make sure to be mindful what you list as the port of entry into KSA. My husband's mother came into KSA via the causeway from Bahrain and we had to make sure her visa listed the causeway as opposed to the airport. Rumor has it that they are getting more strict on discrepancies.
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Post by vpainter on Jan 22, 2013 12:35:38 GMT
We always allow 4 to 6 months to process family member visas. The 2 months is if everything is going along smoothly. If you have any hitches in the process 4 to 6 months window is better and not near as stressful.
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Post by Coffeemama on Jan 23, 2013 10:17:42 GMT
We'll be coming in August for the new school year. Will we be able to apply for visas for our children to visit (in December) right away? Does family visa only mean parents and children, or can other family members visit?
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Post by vpainter on Jan 24, 2013 13:56:13 GMT
You are allowed to bring employee's parents and siblings with spouses and children; your adult children and spouses and children; wife's parents and siblings with family also. Aramco will help with these visitors' visas. You can have others visit, but must do all the leg work yourself for the visas, helps to have a Saudi or Arabic speaking friend to help get through all the government offices needed to do this type visa.
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Post by Mrs.H on Feb 3, 2013 16:26:10 GMT
This answer to a previous post is along the lines of what i was going to ask. I live in UDH and my sister, mother and her 2 friends were planning a visit. I was told by several people that my mother's 2 female friends would not be allowed to enter the compound as they are not family. On the (U.S.) Saudi Arabian Consulate website, I was not able to find a visa suitable for them. I wrote an email to that consulate several weeks ago and have not received a response. They were planing to be here for one week in June 2013, and my mom would possibly be returning at a later date for a visit. My husband is the one who works here, I am here as a spouse (not sure if that makes a difference). He speaks fluent Arabic. We are just not sure where to start the process. My mother, sister, and her 2 friends are all American citizens with US passports. They are wondering what can be done on their part to help facilitate the process.
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Post by vpainter on Feb 5, 2013 22:14:55 GMT
Your mom and sister will be able to get visas. Your mom's 2 friends will probably not be able to get visas. They would be able to enter the compound, because you could sign them in, but it will be the visas that will be the problem. Aramco only assists with immediate family visas: children, parents, siblings, grandparents.
Your husband could do the legwork for your mom's friends himself by going to the different government offices (speaking Arabic will be very helpful doing this, getting a Saudi co-worker to help is also helpful). Your husband could talk to Aramco's Government Affairs Office and they could give him which offices he would need to visit. I forget the man's le who you have to get his permission to seek the visas from, but it is a government official for the Eastern Province.
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Post by gbhatia on Feb 6, 2013 3:58:32 GMT
On the note re parental visa's, I'm wondering if a multiple entry visa can be obtained through Aramco ? The reason I ask is that my mother would like to visit at some point and she has a number of friends living in other GCC countries (Kuwait/Abu Dhabi) who she would also like to visit. Add to that, possible trip(s) to Bahrain and a multiple entry visa would be a must.
Thanks
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Post by vpainter on Feb 6, 2013 21:15:17 GMT
Well, that depends on what's being issued at the time of her visit. Most of the time the employees parents can get multi-entry/exit visas. Sometimes the spouses parents can only get a single entry/exit visa. But some have gotten a multi- entry/exit, so it just depends on what the government is doing at the time of the visa application. Over the years, visas have been in pretty regular fluctuation for type issued and length of stay.
Request the kind you'd like to have when you fill out the application and please do make note of how your parent is coming into the kingdom: by land or air. That is a current issue with the visa: you can only come into the country the way your visa states you may arrive.
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Post by gbhatia on Feb 6, 2013 21:46:07 GMT
Aha. Thanks Vpainter. It's waaaayy to premature to worry about it just yet as we are still to clear our own BI's and make the move over (hopefully sometime in March)  . However, it helps in reassuring family that they will be able to visit us over there should they want to. I do enjoy perusing the boards and getting as much info as possible. Thank you once again to all the posters and moderators for keeping the discussions current and active. |
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. However, it helps in reassuring family that they will be able to visit us over there should they want to.