There has been a sharp increase in the number of foreign workers arriving in the Kingdom on so-called “free visas”, according to sources in the labor market and social organizations. A “free visa” is a travel permit that allows the holder to enter Saudi Arabia but does not provide him with employment, accommodation and mandatory health insurance. A work visa, on the other hand, is a legal travel document that entitles the foreign worker to employment, free accommodation, mandatory health insurance coverage, vacation leave and other benefits as stipulated in the employment contract signed before arrival in the Kingdom. However, a number of foreign workers, mostly Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos and Bangladeshis continue to arrive on the so-called ‘free visa', said a recruiting agent who spoke to the Saudi Gazette on condition of anonymity. “The ‘free visa' trade is currently booming, as a result of the huge demand for foreign workers in the Kingdom,” he said. The price of a ‘free visa' varies from country to country, he added. Pakistanis are buying the ‘free visa' for between SR10,000 and SR11,000 while the same is sold to Indians and Sri Lankans for SR8,000. However, the ‘free visa' for Bangladeshis is being sold at the exorbitant price of SR21,000, he said. “The price of a ‘free visa' for Bangladeshis is so high because of the restrictions imposed on the import of workers from that country,” he said, adding, that “only a very limited number of Bangladeshis holding ‘free visas' are arriving in Saudi Arabia”. Foreign workers arriving in the Kingdom on ‘free visas' have to agree to certain pre-conditions that include fees for obtaining an Iqama (residence permit), health insurance, agent's fee and a certain fixed amount payable every year to the sponsor, which all together comes to around SR 2,000, the agent explained. “Besides, the ‘sponsor' does not provide a job guarantee and the foreign worker has to find employment on his own by hunting in the labor market. However, the ‘sponsor' will provide all the legal documents required to stay in the Kingdom,” he said. ‘Free visas' are usually issued with ‘labor' as the only profession, which sometimes might cause problems for the foreign workers, particularly at the time of transfer of Iqama. However, the ‘sponsor' of the ‘free visa' will offer all the legal papers after charging a certain amount of money, he added. “The holder of a ‘free visa' can even apply for and receive a driving license, but he has to pay a certain amount to the sponsor,” he said. Skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers have no problem in finding employment that suits their qualifications, he explained. However, according to social organizations, the surge in foreign workers arriving on ‘free visas' has been causing untold misery, because the majority of those workers end up having disputes with their ‘sponsor'. R. Muraleedharan, president, Riyadh Provincial committee, Federation of Kerala Association in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA), an umbrella organization with around 21 associations in different parts of the Kingdom, said the ‘free visa' trade in the labor market can cause problems for foreign workers. He said that unscrupulous ‘sponsors' with the involvement of some middlemen are running the visa racket. He said that FOKASA has received a large number of complaints from Indian nationals who have arrived in the Kingdom on ‘free visas'. The most common complaint is that some ‘sponsors' report to the Passport Office that workers under their sponsorship are ‘Uroob' (run away workers). He said by doing so the ‘sponsor' can apply for a fresh visa that allows him to earn an equal amount of money by selling the ‘free visa' to an entirely new person. “This is the vicious cycle that has been going on trapping those who seek employment opportunities in the Kingdom,” the agent explained. Latheef Thechy, a social volunteer of Kerala Relief Wing (KRW), said his association has been approached by a large number of Indians seeking help in getting them out of difficult visa situations. “I usually try to settle the problem amicably by approaching the sponsor, who very often demands money, and if the person under his sponsorship fails to pay the amount, he (‘sponsor') threatens to report the worker to the Passport Department, which may result in the ‘free visa' holder ending up in jail,” he said.
