FOR many expatriates, Saudi Arabia can be ‘home sweet home'' only when they are with their families here. While some opt for a single's life to make a quick buck and return home, others make it their priority to bring their families to the Kingdom on a permanent visa. “It is hard to adjust in a new country and harder to stay without one's family,” said Mateen Muhammad, a Pakistani who works as a secretary and accountant in a construction company in Jeddah. “Sadly, it became impossible for me to bring my family to the Kingdom as my Iqama (residence permit) mentions my profession as secretary,” he said. “When at last I brought (my wife) and our child on a visit visa I knew it was not a permanent solution. She had to go back after a certain time limit,” Muhammed said. The profession mentioned in the Iqama of a foreign worker is the deciding factor allowing or denying him from bringing his family to Saudi Arabia on a permanent visa. The process becomes complicated for those with a non-supervisory category of profession. A permanent family visa is sanctioned for only qualified degree holders whose respective job titles are mentioned on the residence permit. “Professions like that of laborer, operator, and secretary or in any other non-supervisory category are allowed to bring their families only on a free family visit visa for a duration of 90 days, extendable up to 9 months with a government fee of SR100 for every month of extension to be paid in advance,” said Muhammad Imran Asar, an independent legal consultant. He said the husband (foreign worker) can get an extension for his wife if she is pregnant so that the child delivery can take place in Saudi Arabia. “A medical certificate or a report from a government hospital or any recognized clinic has to be submitted along with the monthly government fees,” Asar said. Asar warned that if a worker's family overstays without a prior permission or an extension, his Iqama will not be renewed until he pays a penalty of SR10, 000. He could also be imprisoned or deported to his country. To move his family permanently to the Kingdom, an expatriate is required to fill up an application form from the Istiqdam office which is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The form has to be filled in Arabic. “Documents to be submitted with the application form are the worker's original degree or diploma certificates, original marriage certificate, and copies of birth certificates of his children,” said Asar, adding that photocopies of the passports of the worker's spouse and children should also be kept at hand. All documents must be translated into Arabic and both the original document and its Arabic translation must be attested by the Saudi embassy or consulate in his country. Alternatively, the certificates can be brought to the Kingdom without attestation. The worker can get them translated at any office of certified translation authorized and licensed by the Saudi government. A letter in Arabic from the employee's sponsor is also required for obtaining a permanent family visa. “This letter has to be attested by the Chamber of Commerce in the applicant's residence city in Saudi Arabia. It should be written on a letterhead of the company where the applicant works. The signature of the company owner or his authorized representative and the company's seal is required,'' said Asar. He said details like the applicant's name as written in his residence permit, Iqama number, nationality, position, monthly salary, family status, family residence type and rental amount must be accurately mentioned in the letter. An expatriate's level of salary also affects his chances of obtaining a permanent family visa. Ashfaq Amin, a showroom in-charge in a private company, said he could not get a permanent family visa. His monthly pay is SR3000. “I am hoping that my company gives me a family status and increases my pay so that I can call in my family soon,” he said. Asar said that if an employee's position is lower than the supervisory or managerial post, or his salary is less than SR4000, or he has not been given a family status and a housing allowance by his sponsor, then he cannot apply for a permanent family visa. The employee has to submit all documents in an organized file by himself or through his sponsor, or the sponsor's authorized person or any Saudi agent who charges a fee. The processing is done at the Istiqdam office which is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “At times, the officer may ask the worker to show his original degree, certificate or diploma, original marriage certificate, original Iqama and work permit card for verification. An applicant must always keep them ready,” Asar said. On accepting the visa request, the officer gives a ‘Yellow Slip', a copy of which should be kept with the applicant for records and the original sent to his family back home.. The family has to submit copies of all the above said documents, along with the original yellow slip and original passports (of the wife and children) to the Saudi consulate or embassy in their country. Haroon Iqbal, an Indian IT engineer, said he could obtain a permanent visa for his family easily but, had to endure many delays in the process. “Getting a family visa can be an exhausting experience during the Ramadan or the Haj season,” he said. Asar said that within two weeks of submission of the documents, the family is permitted to conduct medical tests, the report of which must be submitted to the embassy. “The medical tests should be done at authorized places as mentioned by the embassy. Some people end up wasting their money and time by going to any general health centers which are not accepted by the embassy,” stressed Asar. “After the visa is stamped on the passports, the family can purchase their one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia,” he said. __
