The Saudi Arabian government has recently lifted the ban on the re-entry of foreign workers who had previously violated visa conditions.
In a new directive issued by the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) on Tuesday, expatriates who failed to return before the expiration of their exit and reentry visas are now permitted to enter the country.
Relevant departments and various ports of entry, including land, sea, and air, have been instructed to implement this decision, providing considerable relief to foreign workers.
Saudi Arabia Rules for Foreign Workers
The Jawazat has rescinded the existing three-year ban on foreign workers who left the Kingdom on exit and reentry visas but failed to return before the visa expiration. This ban was initially imposed in response to demands from the business community.
Proponents of the ban argued that the failure of workers to return on time adversely affected business interests, causing financial losses as employers had to bear the costs of renewing residency permits (iqama), work permits, and return tickets for these workers.
The ban was enforced with the rationale that workers’ failure to return promptly might lead employers to terminate contracts, thereby harming the overall employment market.
The Jawazat has emphasized the conditions for obtaining an exit and re-entry visa, stressing that workers must settle all outstanding traffic violation fines. Additionally, there should be no existing violations that resulted in the non-cancellation of a previously issued and unused visa.
Another condition is that the worker should not currently possess a valid visa, and their presence within the kingdom’s territories must be verified.
Furthermore, the Kingdom has announced that the worker’s passport should have a validity of 90 days or more, and the individual’s fingerprints to whom the visa is intended should also be recorded.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has been progressively easing visa restrictions and introducing new visa types. As part of the ambitious Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is prioritizing travel and tourism to diversify the country’s revenue stream away from reliance on oil and natural resources.
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