Visa for wife to join me (on work visa)

Dvs danny
Hope ur doing well and everything is good with you .
Im sorry to tell you that u have to wait until u are married to her . After december you can bring her or take her anywhere in the world you want .
I mean no disrespect to you my friend . But saudi has laws and we as foreign people should respect them and uphold them same as we respect the laws in our  own countires .
Out of respect you should book a flight and visit her when ever u can .
Best regards

congradulations by the way .
  good luck

Truthfull wrote:

Dvs danny
Hope ur doing well and everything is good with you .
Im sorry to tell you that u have to wait until u are married to her . After december you can bring her or take her anywhere in the world you want .
I mean no disrespect to you my friend . But saudi has laws and we as foreign people should respect them and uphold them same as we respect the laws in our  own countires .
Out of respect you should book a flight and visit her when ever u can .
Best regards

You misunderstood me, or I wasn't clear. I want to bring her after the wedding. I understand the customs well – I was married to Saudi previously. I am asking now, before the wedding, so I can prepare the documents and get everything in order.

Am I able to get a visa for her if I do not have iqama? I have a work visa (not business) just not the iqama. Is this possible for me to bring her? And what visa type would I need to get for her?

Truthfull wrote:

congradulations by the way .
  good luck

Thank you so much!

The company you work for should apply for you to bring her in .

You getting a visa is very easy for her shouldnt worry much .

She can come in on a visit visa i think for 3 months and renew after that

Sorry to hear about your past but hopefully your future is bright and filled with happiness .👍🏻

Okay I hope to have a response from them tomorrow. A lot of companies like to tell us that they can't do it, for whatever reason. Maybe it costs them too much $$$? I'm not sure, but I'm willing to pay for it from my side.

Thanks for your advice and the well wishes. I hope your future is just as bright!

Since you don't have an Iqama, you will not be able to sponsor her.  A company will have to get her a visit visa for her to come here. 

And ideally, it should be your company as others would be reluctant to issue visa for a female due to many associated risks.

To stay in together while she is here, to be on the safe side (if not in a compound), you need to have a marriage certificate duly attested by the Saudi Embassy in home country.

XTang wrote:

Since you don't have an Iqama, you will not be able to sponsor her.  A company will have to get her a visit visa for her to come here. 

And ideally, it should be your company as others would be reluctant to issue visa for a female due to many associated risks.

To stay in together while she is here, to be on the safe side (if not in a compound), you need to have a marriage certificate duly attested by the Saudi Embassy in home country.

I see. I'm getting a lot of conflicting answers. But I've asked my company; still waiting on a response from them. I've also heard someone suggest getting an escort visa. It's the first time I've heard of this type so I know nothing about it or if it's even possible.

Escort visa is for GCC nationals i.e. if your spouse is a GCC national.

She is, but I am not. Does it still require an invitation letter from my employer?

You said she is an Egyptian?  if so, she is NOT a GCC national.  GCC = Saudi, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain (and formerly Qatar). 

If she was a GCC national, she wouldn't need a visa to come to Saudi anyway .

But small correction, it appears that escort visas are also for spouses irrespective of nationality.  But you need a marriage certificate and it is a process full of hassle as you will have to physically go and apply from Egypt.  Also generally, the success rate for these is higher if you have a GCC national spouse - lots get rejected otherwise.  As I said, best option is for your company to get her a visit visa.

Here are the requirements for escort visa if you are applying from Egypt:

If applying through Suez Mission,

Applicant's Original passport with validity not less than 6 months
At least 2 sided blank pages in the Passport
One Personal photo with white background with validity not less than 6 months
Application Form for Visa from Saudi Missions abroad ( enjazit.com.sa )
For non-Egyptians, copy of the accommodation in Egypt with validity not less than 6 months is required
Payment method is Cash for our center ( VFS Tasheel International ) for services fees
Dear Valued Applicant, as instructed by the Consulate of KSA, please, be advised that you must apply using the new computerized passport
Pre-approval
Original proof of relation
copy of valid residence for the invitation sender
In case of Escort for commercial visit for wife and sons we need copy of issued visa for the husband

If applying through Cairo Mission,

Applicant's Original passport with validity not less than 6 months
At least 2 sided blank pages in the Passport
One Personal photo with white background with validity not less than 6 months
Application Form for Visa from Saudi Missions abroad ( enjazit.com.sa )
Pre-approval letter (Issued from Saudi ministry of foreign affairs) Or the original passport that have visa issued
Proof of kinship ( Marriage certificate, Birth certificate )
When submitting the application as a companion the person who assigned to the main visit must be here and his passport
For non-Egyptians, copy of the accomodation in Egypt with validity not less than 6 months is required
Payment method is Cash for our center ( VFS Tasheel International ) for services fees
Dear Valued Applicant, as instructed by the Consulate of KSA, please, be advised that you must apply using the new computerized passport

If applying through Alexandria Mission,

Applicant's Original passport with validity not less than 6 months
At least 2 sided blank pages in the Passport
One Personal photo with white background with validity not less than 6 months
Application Form for Visa from Saudi Missions abroad ( enjazit.com.sa )
For non-Egyptians, copy of the accommodation in Egypt with validity not less than 6 months is required
Payment method is Cash for our center ( VFS Tasheel International ) for services fees
Dear Valued Applicant, as instructed by the Consulate of KSA, please, be advised that you must apply using the new computerized passport
A pre-approval letter addressed to KSA mission in Alexandria
Proof of relationship Ex: Marriage certificate, Birth certificate attested from the Egyptian Ministry of Forign Affairs.
Note: Non-married female 18+ years needs to provide Non-Marriage declaration
Note: Children under 16 - years require his/her mother's passport with a valid visa or if the mother is at KSA, Her .approval is required with her residence
Note: Male +18 years needs Police Clerance.

In case of Doctor's Escorts:

1. Original addressed letter to the consulate general of KSA in Alexandria attested by the Saudi chamber of commerce and Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2. Original Passport (Validity not less than 6 months with at least 2 consecutive blank pages)
3. Personal photo with white background
4. Enjaz IT Application Form Signed by the Applicant
5. Proof of relation (Birth certificate - Marriage certificate…etc.) attested from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
6. Females 18+ years need to provide Non-Marriage declaration attested from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
7. Males 18+ years need to provide a criminal record attested from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The below endorsements Must be done in the Notarization & Registration Office plus authentication from the Egyptian Foreign Affairs.

Endorsements are: -

Endorsement of Non-Marriage (Any Female over 18 YRS)
Endorsement of Guardian's Approval on Travel (For Males Below 16 YRS/ For Females Till 46 YRS)
Endorsement of Husband on his Wife's travel (For Males Below 16 YRS/ For Females Till 46 YRS)

Okay, so it looks like applying thru the Cairo Mission doesn't need a preapproval letter, only my passport with the original visa. The marriage paper and going to Egypt is not a problem. I'll contact them directly and see if I understand everything correctly. If they have to send off my original passport, that might be an issue.

Contact VFS Tahseel in Egypt for clarity.  This information was on their site and they are the visa agents for Saudi in most countries where they are present.

Hi, just an update:

My company is saying it is impossible to get a visa for her because I'm on a work visa. They are also saying that if they did sponsor her, they would need to pay money to the Ministry of Labor. None of this makes sense. It seems that the HR at my company is either 1.) lazy and not wanting to learn about this or 2.) willfully ignorant, or 3.) being assholes just to be assholes.

I need something I can show them, preferably in Arabic and from the Saudi government, regarding the type of visa for my wife and the procedures. The MOFA website doesn't have anything that I could find. I think this is the only way to convince my company to issue a pre-approval letter.

Are you sure you need the pre-approval letter?   Wouldn't your original passport with your visa work if it is an escort visa?

And there is no payment to Ministry to Labour - it is just the visa fee for the issuance of a visit visa.   And I think your HR is all of the 3 points

XTang wrote:

Are you sure you need the pre-approval letter?   Wouldn't your original passport with your visa work if it is an escort visa?

And there is no payment to Ministry to Labour - it is just the visa fee for the issuance of a visit visa.   And I think your HR is all of the 3 points

According to VFS, I believe so. At least this is what the location in Alexandria told me...Cairo one lists passport as an option, but they never replied. A coworker from my previous job told me that he had to provide a letter as well.

Ah ok.  Yes, at times, the requirements increase not decrease.  For example, for a business visit (not commercial visit) visa, an invitation letter is not required but I was still asked to provide one.

Hi XTang, sorry to bother you again. I just returned from a meeting with my HR department and they are willing now to write the letter. However, they don't know what it should say. According to them, they tried one last year and it was rejected.

I told them it should say something to the effect of "Mr. ____ is working for us and we allow his wife to join him."

Do you have any recommendations on specific language it should include? My own letter has a line about guaranteeing me financially, but with her not working, I'm not sure what her letter should say.

Thank you,
Daniel

Well ideally the letter should be in Arabic, addressed to the consulate and mention that you are an contractor with x title, working for them as a xyz on a project since y date which will continue till x and that Ms. xyz is your wife who is going to join you on your business trip - to which they have no objection.

XTang wrote:

Well ideally the letter should be in Arabic, addressed to the consulate and mention that you are an contractor with x title, working for them as a xyz on a project since y date which will continue till x and that Ms. xyz is your wife who is going to join you on your business trip - to which they have no objection.

Great, I will instruct them about this. I'll go to Egypt this weekend to make the marriage papers and begin the process of her passport, etc. While I'm there, I intend to visit the VFS visa agent there to make sure we'll have everything we need (within a few weeks given the passport processing time and whatever else I need authenticated for the marriage document).

Good luck!!

I am also on a work visit visa and my wife's application for an escort visa got rejected. According to them escort visa to be applied together with the husband's work visit visa. They advised me to cancel my existing visa and apply for a new one together with wife's application or wait for the visa to expire