trojanhorse

Hi all I am new to this forum. I have been working in KSA for five month now and wondered what the record was for getting an Iqama? I have heard of people getting them in one or two weeks! Me I have been waiting FIVE MONTHS and Still I am waiting! I live at the end of the Bharain cause way can you imagine how frustrating it is not to be able to visit, to have one's bank account constantly being frozen, and not being even able to get internet access at home without the Iqama? I have my first leave booked for next month lets hope my employers (National Guard) pull their fingers out and get it sorted. The usual reply of "next week" is wearing thin. Oh well at least there is still shopping!

Thanks I feel better for that

Bye

The Dean

It sounds to me like there is a problem, not just a normal delay........... it might be worth raising the issue at a higher level, or approaching the Ministry of Labour yourself.

coffindodger

When i transfered from Taif to Riyadh it took me 5 months to get a iquama because i was changing jobs
Iknow of a person that recently got his in less than 8 days.
yes yours sounds a little odd since you were a new person in the sand pit. I would have a word with your company PRO.

samSG

i have been waiting 7 months for mine and my patience is growing thin already, not having my wife with me... on the other hand i know of people getting theirs within 3 days. it all depends on the clout of your govt relations people and whether they have ready iqamas on hand for your nationality.

norsk

So what you're saying is that you have entered KSA on the single-entry work visa, done your medical and now you're just waiting medical to be legalised and the iqama to be produced? If so, something is definitely wrong. If all you're getting from your HR is 'next week insha'allah' I would approach the ministry of labour and ask them for assistance.

I have never heard of anyone waiting for that long. My iqama took 3 days and others I know of had it in similar time. I had to wait 4 months for the block visa to be allocated, but i was here on a business visa with a multi-entry at that point so no problem going to bahrain whenever i wanted.

good luck!

shikra

Hi Trojan Horse,

How have you tried to get your Iqama? Is your employer promising you that you will get it in a week? If this is so, your company might have a problem in either Saudi Labor office or Passport office. There are many reasons because of which a company may not be able to renew or make new Iqama's for their employs. Please check deeply with your employer what is going on.

When you get your Iqama, you can always check its status and validity at the following website:
moi.gov.sa
(Go to e-services, and then on the middle-left corner you will see 'check residency permit status')

Good luck and Regards

RiyadhFalcon

Hi Trojan,

I knew all the rules of the Iqama and visas . This normally takes 1-2 weeks maximum. I think there is soemthing wrong with your employer.

regards,
Falcon

samSG

i believe that TrojanHorse is not here on a work visa and like me we are actually waiting for a work visa (that is used to convert into an iqama at a later time)

norsk

if this is the case then the answer (i'm afraid) is 'how long is a piece of string?' i know of companies (big international ones) that have waited for the last 24 months for a block visa...

my advice would be to leave KSA to apply for a new business visa with multiple entry/exit (as it sounds like he doesn't have that at the moment). at least then you can escape to bahrain once in a while until the block visa comes through.

samSG

that is the case for me.

the poor guy's company probably extends his biz visa every 30 days with the little extension sticker for SR100.

so far i insist on going out of the country but have used the sticker twice, gone home 3 times, Dubai 3 times and Bahrain once.

RiyadhFalcon

We are doing this way in our company if we hired somebody under test from outside the country .

norsk

when I first arrived in KSA it was on a business visa while waiting for block visa to come through, but I insisted on a multi-entry/exit visa so that i could leave the country whenever i wanted. without this i wasn't about to come work for them.

if your company is just extending your single entry business visa without giving you an option of leaving the country once in a while i would recommend you seriously consider whether you actually want to work for them or not. it is tantamount to slavery, and no job is worth being treated like a prisoner for in my opinion!

trojanhorse

Hi All
Thanks for your interesting replies. I am working in KSA as a nurse for the National Guard, and came from England on a work visa. I have been unable to get my Iqama due to having to obtain registration with the Saudi Council for Health Specialities before my Iqama can be released. A change in the law which the National Guard had previously chosen to ignored has created this problem, but even as late as this afternoon I am still getting "next week" as an answer, which is I suppose is an improvement on two weeks. I live in hope that my papers will be sorted before the mid contract leave at the end of April, but rest assured I will be thinking very hard before I recontract with this bunch of ****ers!

Bye and thanks for the chance to vent, it does help.

Trojanhorse

coffindodger

Yes in sept last year it was law you had to have a valid BLS Cert before you could submit your papers into the SHCHS.
Now with NG on this break away group as not wanting to do the KSA BLS Programme.
They want to do another BLS programme with USA Heart Assoc only.
KSA Heart Assoc are sitting tight on this one i am sorry to say.

shikra

Trojan Horse,

Well, really sad to hear what is happening with you but believe me, these kind of problems are very (very) common in Saudi Arabia. Main reason is that the employers don't pay attention to the exact Saudi government rules and regulations, because of which they get lot of problems in arranging proper documents for their employs. Anyways, good luck and I hope the 'next' week (same words were said to me also by my employer) comes soon