VISA
A Visa is a documents or stamp endorsed in the applicant’s passport which indicates that the said person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued.
A visa does not generally give a non-citizen any rights, including a right to enter a country or to remain there. The possession of a visa is not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked at any time. The visa process merely enables the host country to verify the identity of the visa applicant before the entry of the applicant. Special permits may also be required, such as residency permit or work permit.
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident.
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment. It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship.
One needs a Visa to enter a foreign country. People working abroad can sponsor family and relatives for a period of up to six months. (The initial stay is for one month and this can be renewed up to six months or a year)
To apply for the visa the applicant will need a copy of their id or passport and a copy of the visitor’s passport (a scan copy will do), a letter from the applicant’s own sponsor (i.e. their employer) and proof of their relationship such as birth and marriage certificates. You also need two photographs of the visitor... The visit visa lasts for one month but can renew for up to five months for immediate family and for up to two months for other family residents.
Saudi Visitor’s Visas
A visitor’s visa, which is in actual fact a business visa, is obtained upon a formal invitation from the company or individual sponsoring the visitor. The invitation will include a visa number and it is primarily a statement that the sponsor has obtained a visa for the visitor and that authority to issue the visa has been sent to the appropriate Saudi embassy.
With the visa number in hand, the individual can go to the embassy but as visas are issued only by number and not by name, if one has no number, there is absolutely no point in going to the embassy. No number, no visa: the rule is simple and is applied to all applicants. If, on the other hand, the visitor is at the embassy in the morning with his number, he can usually collect his visa in the afternoon.
Exit Re-Entry visa
All residents, except for women and children who are sponsored by their father or husband, will require an exit visa before leaving their country. To get an exit visa they will require permission from their sponsor. You may also require a guarantor – a person who is willing to sign a letter guaranteeing that he will repay any of your debts before you are granted an exit visa.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have an exit visa requirement, particularly for foreign workers. Hence at the end of a foreign worker's employment period, the worker must secure clearance from his/her employer stating that the worker has satisfactorily fulfilled the terms of his/her employment contract or that the worker's services are no longer needed. The exit visa can also be withheld if there are pending court charges that need to be settled or penalties that have to be meted out.
In Saudi Arabia, one needs a visa to both enter as well as get out of the country.
There are 2 types of Exit / Re-entry visas - single and multiple.
A single exit / re-entry visa is valid only once, i.e., for going out and returning. Once you return to the kingdom on a single visa, the validity is cancelled and you have to obtain a fresh Exit / Re-entry visa for your next trip out of the kingdom.
A multiple exit / re-entry visa is valid for travelling any number of times back and forth out of and into the kingdom, but is valid only for 6 months from the date of first exit out of the country.
In both cases, i.e., single as well as multiple visas, the sponsor's consent is required. In other words, your sponsor can actually decide when you can go out and re-enter the kingdom.
In case of single visa, you are supposed to leave the kingdom within 30 days of the date of stamping and return before the date specified on the visa. Again, this is left to the discretion of your sponsor whether to apply for a validity of 1 month or 1 year 8- Usually, exit / re-entry visas are never given for more than a year.
The advantage of multiple visas is that once you have the passport and the ticket in your hands, you are free to go out of the kingdom and return within 6 months from the date of first departure. However, your sponsor's consent is required for this too for applying a multiple visa.
Transit Visa
Transit visa is required for a short period. It can be given for seven days or even three days.
Saudi Tourist /visitor’s Visa
To obtain a Saudi tourist visa, you must be invited by a company or individual who will act as your sponsor and undertake responsibility during your stay. The sponsor applied for the visa on your behalf and obtains a serial number. On the basis of this number you can obtain a visa stamp in your passport from the embassy. It is difficult for young and single women to enter the country unless they are related to expatriate workers.
Family Visas
Workers can sponsor their families. Relevant documents like approval letter, bank statement of salary for last six months, attested marriage certificate, children’s birth certificates and education certificates, passport copies are required. Alternatively you may be able to bring your family on tourist visa. After they have arrived you can convert their visa to a residence permit.
Documents required for VISA STAMPING:-
Original Passport, Original visa, Medical Report (issued from Gamca Centre), PCC (attested), ticket copy, attested certificates, passport size photos (white background) 5 – 8 nos
Visa Extensions
The visa extensions can only be obtained by your sponsor.
