Indians applying for Saudi Arabian work visas will now have to get their professional and educational qualifications pre-verified. This mandate is expected to check the number of Indian workers entering Saudi Arabia and at the same time ensure that the quality of workers is maintained, in alignment with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision. This will also lessen the pressure on the training centres in Saudi Arabia which are already very few in number.
Given that more than two million Indian workers are said to be residing in Saudi Arabia—with over one and a half million employed in the private sector and more than seven million as domestic workers—this mandate holds significance. As part of the amendments, rules pertaining to visa extensions and renewal process of residency permits have been updated for expatriates.
It is reported that an official circular has already been issued by the Saudi mission in India about this mandate, which has come into effect on 14 January 2025. From now on, no work visas will be issued without pre-verification.
This mandate will also help to improve the retention rates of workers, ensure that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has good-quality workforce, and streamline the hiring process.
All employers and owners of businesses and HR departments have been directed to check the documents, information and certificates submitted by expatriate employees.
With lack of enough test centres to verify applications, workers are often required to travel long distances to get their verifications done. Additionally, these expatriate workers do not speak the local language. The new rule will help alleviate this issue.
