Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
American nationals travelling to Saudi are now able to obtain visit visa starting from 6 months up to 5 years. Earlier, visit visas for American citizens were normally issued with a validity of five year and applicants were not able to opt for shorter validity.
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Saudi employers do not need to perform labour market testing before a block visa request is adjudicated. Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MLSD) has now relaxed rules where employers are able to submit their block visa requests via the MLSD online portal.
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A new online service named ‘Ejttiaz’ has been introduced by The Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE). Foreign engineers and technicians that are in search of employment in Saudi Arabia for the public and private sector must now register via Ejttiaz. Registration needs to be complete before signing an employment contract and obtaining a work visa. The completed registration enables temporary membership in SCE which qualifies the applicant to start the immigration process. Formerly foreign nationals had to complete the registration after their arrival in Saudi and before securing a work permit and Musqeem Card.
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Employers in the private sector are now able to upload and update electronic forms of employment contracts for their Saudi and foreign employees. The General Organization for Social Insurance and the Ministry of Labour and Social Development launched this scheme to ensure compliance of employment contracts, ensure accuracy of data recorded in agreements aiming to eliminate and reduce labour disputes between an employer and its employees. Furthermore, employees are able to access their contract online. It is anticipated that the registration process will be required for all employers in Saudi Arabia in the future.
Oman
Ministry of Manpower has further extended the suspension on issuing new work visas for certain business activity categories of employees in specified professions such as: workers in construction, workers in cleaning services and sales representatives. Suspension on the recruitment of foreign manpower is extended for a further 6 month period.
Egypt
Great news for foreign nationals whom are investing in the property market and purchasing real estate in Egypt as they may be eligible for an Egyptian residency visa. The Cabinet of Egypt announced this new law will come into effect soon.
Iraq
Foreign nationals having a residence permit that was issued in Federal Iraq need to cancel the residence permit prior to being able to apply and get a residence permit for Iraqi Kurdistan, according to a statement by the Kurdish immigration authorities. Foreign nationals visiting Iraqi Kurdistan can stay for up to 30 days, after which they must cancel Federal Iraq’s residence visa and obtain a residence authorization for Kurdistan.
Qatar
Indian nationals are no longer permitted to obtain a visa on arrival to Qatar, this announcement was released by the Ministry of Interior of Qatar. Furthermore, visitors from Indian will need to meet the following conditions:
- Passport must be valid for a minimum six months from the date of entry to Qatar
- Display a confirmed return travel ticket along with a hotel reservation
- Provide a valid credit card issued in the travelers name
In addition, the visa can no longer be extended in-country for a further 30 days.
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Foreign nationals that are currently working in Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) holding work residency permits, still require exit permits for their departure from Qatar.
QFC and QSTP are special economic zones that do not fall under Qatar labour law, therefore foreign nationals employed in companies within the jurisdictions of QFC and QSTP cannot benefit from the exit permit exemption which was effective in November 2018.
