Home / Saudi Arabia Transit Visa: when is a visa on arrival not an option?

Saudi Arabia Transit Visa: when is a visa on arrival not an option?

If you have a layover in any Saudi Arabian airport for 18-72 hours or are planning to travel through KSA on your way to another country, you will need a Saudi Arabia transit visa. Furthermore, you will need to apply for Saudi Arabia visa before your trip as transit visas are not issued at the airport. You can apply online on our website.

Get Your Saudi Arabia Visa Here

To get this process started, you must submit the following:

1) A valid passport

2) If not a citizen of the United States (or wherever you are applying from) then a copy of a green card or visa that gives you legal status in that country

3) One recent passport style photograph

4) A Saudi visa questionnaire filled out and signed

5) Declaration of Saudi Laws, signed

6) Confirmed ticket or itinerary showing your layover. If you are going in by land, you will need a letter detailing your trip including the ports of entry and exit.

7) Proof that applicant can legally enter the country of destination after KSA (a visa, residency card, passport etc.)

You will also need Enjaz completed and paid for online. Many clients have problems paying for their Enjaz or filling it out. Travel Visa Pro does this for you and includes the price of the Enjaz in the service price.

Be warned that if you overstay your transit visa you will be charged roughly $750 per day you have overstayed!

Women travelling alone are not eligible for transit visas. If women are travelling with a male guardian, they will need to submit a copy of marriage or birth certificate upon applying for the visa. Birth certificates must also be provided for children who must be travelling with their legal parents.

One final caveat: Saudi Arabia DO NOT issue transit visas for travelers going through Jeddah during Umrah and Hajj season!!! If you were hoping to do Hajj or Umrah on a transit visa while on a layover in Jeddah, simply do not. Not only will they not issue your visa and you will waste time and money, but entry into Mecca and Medina is illegal when on a transit visa. You must apply for a Hajj or Umrah visa.

Home / Can you travel with a damaged passport?

Can you travel with a damaged passport?

When deciding to travel either domestically or internationally it would serve you well to have a US passport. It is a must for international travel and will circumvent headaches for domestic flights as homeland security moves toward their real ID program. But there are a few issues one needs to concern themselves with when checking their passport to ensure it is valid. Here are a few pointers which can ensure you are able to move through the ticketing lines and get on your plane.

Replace Your Damaged Passport Here

Condition of the Physical Passport

It is important the quality/condition of your passport is in immaculate shape. It cannot be worn, washed, torn, ripped, or otherwise unreadable. This will deemed as a mutilated or damaged passport and the Department of State will require you to renew your passports. Other common issues with the passport which can be indentified at the airport are missing covers, loose binding, water streaks, chipped corners, or the photo is beginning to peel. If you have any of the above issues it is highly recommended you renew your passport as you will be turned away at the airport, the border, or will have issues when you try to re-enter back into the US.

The process for fixing a damaged/mutilated passport book is to apply for a new passport. This is completely different than a renewal and requires the applicant to appear before a Passport acceptance agent and have their documents verified, then sealed. Passport acceptance agents are found at most US post offices. However, it is highly advised to call the respective post office before arriving.

View all the Pages in the Passport

If you are going to a country where you will need a visa stamps you MUST have a full blank page and it MUST say visa page on top of the page. Now, some countries will stamp the visa over other countries stamps and some will stamp on the amendment page, BUT this is risky and I would not count your luck on this happening. It is also important to note, that some countries require two side by side blank pages. Russia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa are some countries who come to mind. So it is important to check through your passport to make sure you have blank pages and if you need to have two side by side, you have this.

If you do not have pages, you will need to add pages to your passport. Most passport books can have pages added at least twice and sometimes it can be three times. However, if your passport cannot have pages added, the Department of State will ask you to renew your passport.

What is this 6 months or I can’t Enter?

Countries and US Department of State regulations are very strict on the validity of a passport. It must have 6 months left on the passport prior to departure. This is known to many as the 6 month rule and has/will cause many of trips to be averted if not followed. I cannot tell you how many calls we receive a day from clients at the airport, tremendously upset that they will miss their trip. I am telling you from experience, if you are getting close, you will need to renew your passport. Passports can be renewed well in advance of its expiration date so as long as you are on top of the dates.

The renewing of a minor passport is a little more complicated and will require additional steps. These steps can be found on our webpage.

In closing, it is very important to check through your passport so you do not miss your trip or event. If you have any questions regarding your passport validity, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can view your passport and give you our assessment.

Home / Medical and Criminal Records for Saudi Arabian Employment Visas

Medical and Criminal Records for Saudi Arabian Employment Visas

Moving to Saudi Arabia for work purposes can be a daunting task. The biggest worries clients have when applying for employment visas are 1) the medical and 2) the criminal. (you can see more about the other necessary steps from an earlier blog post HERE) Like most countries, Saudi Arabia wants to make sure to protect its borders, and that includes a certain level of disease control and security. Most candidates who have an employment offer and invitation letter have nothing really to worry about.

Get Your Saudi Arabia Visa Here

First, the medical. Essentially, Saudi Arabia will reject candidates who test positive for HIV, Hepatitis or are pregnant. Other major health problems may also lead to rejection, but if you have a serious disease, it may not be the best time for you to move your family and start a new job anyways. Minor conditions like psoriasis or hypoglycemia need not even be mentioned and will not be reason to reject you for an Saudi Arabia employment visa.

Second, the criminal background check needs to be performed by your local police station. Contrary to what you may think, this is the preferred source of your background check. FBI records are not accepted. Also, if you are applying from the US for your visa, your criminal records should also be made from the US. So essentially, if you’ve ever been convicted of a felony, you will not get a visa. If you have been convicted for a misdemeanor, you may not be automatically rejected. The consulate will take into consideration how long ago the offense was and also what the nature of it was (ie, any sex related crime will lead to rejection).

For advisement about your particular case, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-866-378-1722.

Home / What is an STR Visa To Nigeria?

What is an STR Visa To Nigeria?

If you have a business opportunity or job offer in Nigeria, you may have been urged by your host or company to start applying for an STR permit, otherwise known as a Subject to Regulation visa. The name sounds very daunting and a little bit dangerous, but this is just the name for the visa that permits paid employment as an expat in Nigeria including the Delta region. The reason for the name is that the Nigerian government restricts the number of expatriates who take up paid, permanent employment in the country. This visa is available to foreigners with offers from private firms, non-profits and governments and to individual investors.

Get Your Nigeria Visa Here

How is an STR visa different from a business visa and a Temporary Work Permit? A business visa is for business purposes such as meetings, contract negotiations, training etc. but not for paid employment. These Nigeria visas are available with single or multiple entries and are only valid for up to six months.

Temporary Work Permits (TWP) are available to skilled workers, contractors or experts offering their services for a limited amount of time to corporations or non-profits already operating in Nigeria. A contract and confirmed return ticket are required to apply for this visa. As the name implies, this visa is for TEMPORARY work with set end dates.

The length of the STR visa will be valid for 90 days when issued from the Embassy and it will be for single entry. Upon landing in Nigeria you will be asked to present the authorities with not only your visa, but a packet from the Embassy which contains the rest of your STR documents. After the authorities have reviewed your documents you will be eligible for a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) which will give you residency rights and the actual right to start work.

So the critical first step is the STR. The whole process takes 5 to 10 business days, but keep in mind that the Nigerian embassy is only open Mondays through Thursdays and is closed on Fridays. You will need the following documents:

Current Passport (with at least 6 months validity)
4 Completed visa application forms
4 Copies of confirmation of online payment
4 passport size pictures
4 Copies of employment offer letters
4 Copies of acceptance of employment letters
4 Copies of Nigerian Immigration approval quota
4 Copies of resume, degrees, and certificates earned
Holders of non–US passports must provide proof of legal residency (photocopy of green card)
4 copies certificate of incorporation of the Nigerian company.
4 Copies of business permit issued by the Ministry of interior (for companies that have foreign shareholders)

Most of the official documents will come from your employer, but the visa application, online payment and other documents are usually procured individually. It is advised that you work with a private firm such as Travel Visa Pro which can assist with these documents. The STR visa is a daunting process and requires personal connections and face to face time to with the Consular staff. It is important to work with a reputable agency who can arrange this for you.

Good luck with your move and new job and congratulations!

Home / 5 year Saudi Arabia business visit visa

5 year Saudi Arabia business visit visa

I get an overwhelmingly amount of questions regarding this mythical 5 year, multiple entry, business visa to Saudi Arabia. In fact, I have come to dub it the Unicorn of Saudi… Hehehe. In all seriousness, it does exist AND I will give you a few insider tips, which will make your extensive travel to Saudi Arabia much easier.

Get Your Saudi Arabia Visa Here

Applying for Saudi business visit visa

First, we can all agree, it is a pain to keep reapplying for visas to Saudi Arabia. It is one of the more difficult countries to not only get an invite, but then to have the visa stamped in a timely matter. So for simplicity if you were able to get your hands a 5 year visa, you would only have to apply ONCE every 5 years. Imagine that!!!

People are under the impression; the visa length and validity are up to the visa office at MOFA and Embassy offices. This is only partly true. Yes, they have an overwhelming influence over the visa process, but there are certain things one can do to increase your chance of being approved for a 5 year visa. It is a two part process, with the first part being initiated in Saudi and the second in the US at the Consulates.

You will need to have your visa issued and approved by the Chamber of Commerce in a big city; such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Qatif, Dammam, Medina, and/or Al Khobar. Next, your visa approval will have to be listed on the long form which comes from the Chamber of Commerce and not the short form, which MOFA issues.

Third, your visa number cannot start with a 7, it must be a 2 or 4. This coding is directly dependent on what type of industries your sponsor is engaged in. Fourth, your length of stay on the invitation must be 180 days and for multiple entries. A lot of people try to get creative and say 1800 or 1825 for the length of stay. Just think, what visa officer is going to issue a visa that allows you to STAY in Saudi for 1800 days. 6 months, is the maximum amount of stay you will be allotted.

Lastly, make sure your visa invitation is either for the New York Consulate or for the Washington, DC Embassy.

Now, that we have worked out the specifics and parameters from the Saudi side. There will be some things you will have to do on the US side. Your business letter, must state you intend to enter Saudi Arabia over the next 5 years. It is imperative your Enjaz is completed correctly. This means it needs to list multiple entries and for purpose of visit, it needs to state visits for business over the next 5 years.

Now Enjaz, is a tricky machine and is best left to be done, by your visa expediter, such as Travel Visa Pro. They can make sure the information is inputted correctly AND it needs to be done in Arabic if you seek the desired result above.

If you are able to follow the above steps, I can assure that you will be granted a 5 year multiple entry business visa.

Please reach out to me if you desire help or have any further questions.

Home / Family Visit Visas to Saudi Arabia

Family Visit Visas to Saudi Arabia

This blog post is meant to simplify and explain the befuddled information regarding family visas to Saudi Arabia. So, you got the job in Saudi and you may have been there for a few months. The government has finally approved your Iqama and now you just want to bring your family to Saudi. How can I do this?

Get Your Saudi Arabia Visa Here

As I have mentioned in a previous post, the Iqama card is your life line and will dictate your life in KSA. This is true even when applying for a family visa. The profession listed on your Iqama will help OR not help you in getting the visas. The more prominent and lucrative job titles; doctor, engineer, systems analyst, or professor, will have a better chance to get the approval from MOFA for visa issuance. If you happen to hold a lower class job title such as a laborer, dredge worker, or house servant; the chances for bringing your family are very, very low.

Now that we have discussed the specifics of the Iqama, the visa process is relatively straight forward. You will want to go to the MOFA webpage, which allows you to initiate the process for family visas. I do apologize for those who do not speak Arabic. If this is the case, I recommend you sit with your government relations rep or a trusted translator. But more on this shortly.

Before you enter the site, you will want to make sure you have these documents in your immediate vicinity:

Iqama card
Copy of your passport
Contract from your Employer which shows the salary amount
Copies of the passports of those you are inviting to KSA
Copy of Marriage certificate
Copies of Birth certificates for any kids

Now, you are ready to begin. As I mentioned above, the MOFA site is only in Arabic, SO you will need some help, unless you are a fluent speaker. It is important when they ask for the sponsor, that you put your name as it is listed on your Iqama card. When it ask you for the length of stay, put 90 days. This is the longest amount of time MOFA will approve for a visa, but it may be only for a 30 day stay.

I get a lot of questions, asking if they can get a longer stay and I always advise, it really depends on what the MOFA officer wants to do that day. I have seen visas for 10, 30, 90, 180, and 5 years. There is not a rhyme or reason. But you are able to renew a family visa. More on this in the next post.

Make sure, you select family visit for the purpose of travel. Once this has been finished, you will need to submit the application. Print TWO copies. Keep one for your records and the other, you’ll want to sign and date at the bottom. Then you will need to take this copy to your local office and have them sign and stamp with their seals. Once you have gotten all of this done, you will want to take the documents we discussed earlier, this paper, and forward all to your nearest MOFA office. The documents must reach this office within 3 working days of being submitted online or the visa will no longer be in the system. It is very important to keep in mind MOFA as the rest of Saudi Arabia are closed on Thursday and Friday.

After about a week or so, you’ll want to check the link for updates. You will have to input your Iqama number and the application number, which is listed at the top of the printout. If the page looks identical to what you have submitted to MOFA, then your visa is still under review. However, if the visa has been approved it will be a yellow screen. This is commonly referred to in the kingdom as “The Yellow Paper”. Print two copies and keep one for your records. Now we visit the second half of the process.

You will want to send these documents to your family members in their host country:

The paper you printed
Copy of your Iqama
Copy of your passport

Your family members will want to follow these instructions, which are listed on our web page.

However, they will want to contact Justin Hackett at 202 684 7150 to discuss their case. In addition to the documents they received from the Saudi, they will need to provide:

Passports of all applicants
Applications
Photographs
Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates

Generally, the process will take about 5-10 business days to be approved by the Embassy. Expedited options are available if needed.

If you have any questions, regarding the procedure, please send me an email. I am here to help.

Good luck with your travel plans.

Home / Employment Visa to Saudi Arabia

Employment Visa to Saudi Arabia

Fantastic, you finally got that great job in Saudi either through a recruiter or a direct hire. I can address the differences between these in a different blog post. But first and foremost congrats! The question is now what??!? If you view the Saudi Embassies page the process seems rather seamless, but don’t be fooled. The Saudi Employment visa is one of the most daunting and confusing visas to obtain in the industry. So, I will walk you through the process with the hopes of providing some clarity.

Get Your Saudi Arabia Visa Here

First and foremost, you will want to make an appointment with your general physician and schedule an extensive physical examination. I highly recommend doing this ASAP as the tests are quite tedious and will require you to go to a variety of facilities. The Saudi Embassy has their own medical form and it needs to be completed in its entirety by your doctor. It is ABSOULUTELY imperative to get an HIV test and have a negative result. If for any reason, any of your results come back positive you will want to discuss this with me right away. Some things may be overlooked but others may not. It is very IMPORTANT not to lie on the form. There is strong chance in the future you may be re-evaluated by a Saudi doctor while you are in Saudi Arabia. The ramifications for a falsified form will adversely impact you and cause great great great problems. Think epically BIG problems. Lastly, on the bottom of the form it asks for the State seal of the doctor. I get a lot of questions regarding this as it is very vague. In plain words, this means to have your doctor’s office stamp the form with their office seal. This is more than sufficient and will satisfy the Embassy.

Second, you will want to contact all the Universities you have studied and graduated from. You will need sealed copies of your transcripts and copies of your degree. Please do not send in your original degree as I am sure you do not want red stamps all over your achievements. Next, if you have any experience certificates or letters please obtain these as well. This will come in handy when it comes time for salary negotiations in Saudi. You’d be surprised what one experience letter equates to on the economic scale. If you DO NOT have a college degree, the process just became much more difficult and you will need to contact me to discuss your case.

Third, contact your local police station and ask them to run a background check. The police agency will then need to give you a letter with the results they have found. It needs to be signed in ink and stamped from the police agency. You also need to not have been convicted of any crimes and if you have, it is good idea to be upfront about it. Do not get an FBI background check as the FBI takes awhile to get back to you. And do not ask the State police for a background check as they will tell you to print it out from the webpage. This will be rejected by the Embassy. It must be a letter and signed in ink.

Fourth, gather your offer letters and any/all correspondence from your Saudi host. It is very important to send in the original contract and it must be signed by all concerned parties. As far as correspondence with the Saudi host, this will come in the form of an invitation letter. There are many many different formats, but the form will be in Arabic. Generally, I advise clients to scan me anything they in Arabic as more times than not this is the document I am looking for.

Fifth, complete the application, declaration of laws, and gather four photographs. You will also want to include your resume with the documents. At this point you are done with assembling your documents and it is time to ship them to me.

Once all of the above has been completed, you will want to Fed Ex the documents to my office. Here at the office I will meticulously and scrupulously go through your documents. If all is deemed appropriate, I will attest and authenticate your degrees, certificates, and experience letters. Then I will work with the Embassy to approve your visa. The process takes between 5-10 business days

The above information should be helpful and you can always reach out to me for any of your questions or concerns.

In closing, don’t be fooled in thinking because you have a job offer from a Saudi firm that you are automatically guaranteed to be approved for your visa to Saudi Arabia. Yes, I will work very hard to get your approval and so far I have not failed anyone, but please know the Embassy has the final say so.

Home / Western Hempisphere Travel Intiative

Western Hempisphere Travel Intiative

Post 9/11 has resulted in an increase in security and monitoring activites when it comes to internal travel within the Americas. In 2004 the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act created a program call the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which now requires US and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other legal document when they enter the US.

US citizens enter the the re-entering the US via air travel can show either a US passport or a NEXUS card. If they are entering by land you may show a US passport, US passport book, NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card, some entry points a drivers license, and at limited points a federal issued ID with the appropriate CAC card. For sea points, you can show passport book or card, NEXUS card, state drivers license, Merchan Mariner ID, and a military ID. Please note for sea entry, if you are coming on a cruise from the Carribean a state issued ID and a birth certificate are acceptable.

The overall goal of the program is to ensure a smooth faciliation of entry points but at the same time provide accountability and enhanced security which will allow for easy identification of travellers.

Home / US-Russia Visa Changes Set to Go Into Effect Sept 9th!!!

US-Russia Visa Changes Set to Go Into Effect Sept 9th!!!

The US and Russia have decided to exhibit monumental collaboration and showcase a one of kind travel visa change. On or around Sept 9th, the two countries will set forth to introduce a simplified visa process, which will allow applicants to possess a three year visa. Currently, the maximum allotment for travel visas to Russia is one year. So as one could see, a three year validity visa would prove to be extremely beneficial to business and tourist travelers. Also, this three year visa will allow travelers to stay for a maximum of six months.

These changes have been initiated by Washington in order to improve relations with Moscow and generate revenue through tourism and business trade. Also, the US government hopes to negate a stipulation of the Russian visa procedure which requires US travelers to obtain a written invitation from a Russian citizen or a recognized organization. The US does not reciprocate this policy, but they do ask first time applicants to attend an in person interview. The US will not amend this part of the visa process.

All and all, pending Parliamentary or Congressional blocking, this monumental agreement will begin in a few short weeks. Stay tuned for updates as they become available and check out our webpage as we will be one of the first companies to offer a three visa.

Home / The Chinese Consulate has Changed Their Procedure Again!!!

The Chinese Consulate has Changed Their Procedure Again!!!

Effective immediately, the Chinese Consulates in the US have amended their procedure for applicants wishing to apply for visas. Please read below for the updated changes.

For those seeking a Chinese tourist visa, you will need to provide an airline reservation, a copy of your hotel booking visa application guidelines, and a copy of your inviters residence card in China. If you do not have a hotel booking, your host must provide you with an official invite for China.

Business travelers, will need to provide an official invitation letter from the host company in China, which must state:

Full Name
Date of Birth
Gender
Citizenship
Passport #
Passport Expiration

This letter must be addressed to the correct Consulate of China, explain the nature or purpose of business, and how long the applicant will remain on the business trip. The letter must also include the names, departments, and organizations in China you are intending to visit. It must also include the visa validity and how many entries, i.e. multiple, doublie, single, the applicant will need. Lastly, the letter must be on a company letter head and have the correct signature or stamp.

These are a lot of instructions and I tend to find that with the an over abundance of instructions, things tend to be left out. Therefore, if you have questions regarding the new procedure, please do not hesitate to contact us at 866-378-1722 or send an email to info@travelvisapro.com. Your questions will certainly be addressed and we are glad to assist in anyway that we can.