BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Saudi Arabia, like all other countries, requires that expatriate employees hold an employment visa. Although the process is detailed and exacting, we guide you through each step in the process.

An Employment Visa for Saudi arabia requires:

a) Verification of your education/work experience
b) Medical Reports
c) Police Clearance Certificate
d) Visa Application Form

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a) Verification of your education/work experience. In order to authenticate your education and license (for the position you are employed for), you will need to send us a copy of your diploma/degree; an official set of transcripts, an official verification from your school verifying your degree was completed in-class (not online) and a copy of your license. If your licensing body does not issue a pocket license we will either need a copy of your initial registration certificate or an official letter of good standing from the licensing body.

Once our office has received the required documents (i.e., a copy of your diploma/degree, an official set of transcripts, an official verification letter and a copy of your license), we will send these documents to the Saudi Cultural Bureau for stamping/attestation.

b) Medical Reports. We will send you the official Saudi Embassy Medical Report and a list of required medical tests to complete. The medical lab tests and medical reports must be completed within three months of the date that your visa application is submitted to the Embassy. Please note that the Embassy Medical Report must be completed in triplicate.

A US-licensed physician must be completed the official Embassy Medical Report form in full. The lab results for all the required lab tests must accompany the Embassy Medical Report form. The original Embassy Medical form and lab results will need to be sent to our office.

c) Police Clearance & FBI Check. You will need to complete a "name and date-of-birth" search that can be completed by your local police station. It does not have to be nationwide (i.e., your local country search is sufficient) and fingerprints are not required. This document must be dated within 6 months of when your visa application is submitted. The original certificate will need to be couriered to our office.

You must also complete an FBI fingerprint check.

d) Complete the Visa Application form, which will be provided to you by our office. Please send the original completed form along with four passport photos and your original passport to our office.

You may send us all of the required documents listed above for your employment visa in one package

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NOTES & FYIs:

Visa restrictions: Work visa applicants must be over 22 years of age. The Embassy will only issue work visas to persons under the age of 60.

Providing notice to your current employer: Do not give notice to your current place of employment until your work visa has issued and your medicals cleared by your sponsor.

Medicals: If your physician marks anything in the "Positive/Abnormal" column on any of your results/forms, please ensure that you receive a letter explaining the condition, stating that you are fit for work, and confirming that the condition will not affect your quality of, or ability to, work.

Name change documentation: If your name has changed (i.e., the surname of any of your official documents is different from the one as appearing on your passport), ensure that you provide copies of the applicable legal name change documents. This is to prove that the official documents (usually education/registration documents) and the passport belong to the same person.

Permanent Resident Card: In the case of a non-US application (an applicant who is not eligible for a US passport) being processed in the USA, a valid residency permit (permanent resident card) is required. Without this document, work visa processing would need to be completed at the Saudi Embassy in the country of which the candidate is a citizen.

Embassy Visa Application Form: Ensure that this form is completed in full (typed out or handwritten in black ink in block letters) and signed. Your recruitment company will cover the visa processing fees. Please note that work visas are valid for 3 months from date of issue (i.e. you must enter Saudi Arabia within 3 months of the visa's issue date.) The religion field must be filled out on this form.

Passport Photos: There must be 4cm by 6cm. Dress conservatively for your passport photos, and avoid wearing religious symbols (e.g. crosses). It is best that you travel with 10 additional photos with you to Saudi Arabia. You will find that almost everything you apply for a requires a photo (gym membership, residency permit etc.)

Finally, over almost 40 years, we have processed thousands of employment visas and are happy to answer all and any questions.

• [Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. USA] (http://www.saudiembassy.net/)