Can A Family Visit Visa Be Converted Into A Residence Permit (Iqama)?

KEY POINTS

• Due to the coronavirus, Saudi Arabia has imposed a conditional ban on direct flights from several countries, including Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
• There is no legal way to issue a residence permit to a person coming on a visitor’s Visit visa.
• Workers who violate the Exodus Promise Act will get banned from coming to the country for three years, so they cannot come to the country during the said period.

Top Saudi officials have automatically extended the IQAMA and visa period until November 30, 2021, to facilitate residency holders from countries that have banned people from coming directly due to the coronavirus.

Readers of EXPATS IN SAUDI NEWS ask various questions regarding the extension of IQAMA and VISA and other references.

Regarding the duration of stay and promise of departure, a person inquired, “My domestic driver, who is currently in India, will have his IQAMA expiring on September 30. The message came that there was no required amount, while there were also free extension orders from the government. What should I do? ‘.

Responding to a question, the JAWAZAT said that the Ministry had issued an order to extend the IQAMA and visit visa of the holders of prohibited countries until November 30 free of cost, who have gone abroad but are waiting for it to come.

A person from the Saudi Passport Department asked about the conversion of the family visit visa to IQAMA. He said that he invited the family to the kingdom on a visit visa, but keeping in view the current situation of COVID-19, I want to change the family’s visit visa to IQAMA. Is it possible? If yes, what will be the procedure?

JAWAZAT answered this question and said that those coming on a visit visa should return to their home country during the visa period.

There is no legal way to issue a residence permit to a person coming on a visitor’s visa. To give a residence permit to the family, you should contact the relevant department of the Department of Civil Affairs from where the residence visa is issued to the family. After issuing the visa, Get the visa stamped by the Saudi embassy in your country

It is noticeable that those who come on a visit visa must return within the stipulated period. Otherwise, they will get fined and fall into the category of breaking the law.

Violation Of Exit-Return Visa Promise Act:

In this regard, the Passport Department said that those who went out of KSA on the Exit-Return visa should return within the stipulated period. Otherwise, they will get charged with violation of the law of departure.

Workers who violate the Exodus Promise Act will get banned from coming to the country for three years, so they cannot come to the country during the said period. However, they can come to the country only on the second visa of the former sponsor during the said period.

The licenses further said that in the said case, six months after the expiration of the maid’s visa (exit vow), the violators of the exit vow get included in the category of ‘exit promise’ in this regard. If the worker’s data does not remove from the system, the worker can get fired through the ‘Abshar’ account.

The licenses said that the ‘Kharj Wilm Yaad’ facility could get availed by entering the residence number of the worker through the ‘Tawasil’ service of the Abshar system.

It is noticeable that for the issuance of new visas for domestic workers, it is legally prohibited that the person issuing the visa does not have more than the prescribed number of workers; if the number of domestic workers in the system exceeds the prescribed limit. They will not be issued a second visa.