Saudi expats to enjoy special privileges under 'Green Card' scheme

Riyadh - Exemption from expat levy or dependent fees among other benefits.

Under Saudi Arabia's newly announced Special Privileged Iqama (residency visa) or 'Green Card' scheme, holders of such visa will be exempted from expat levy or dependent fee. To avail this type of visa, holders should first have a regular residence permit.
The special residency visa will allow bearers to reside in the Kingdom with dependents family members consisting of wives and daughters as well as sons who are less than 21 years of age.
It will also allow holders to obtain visit visas for relatives, recruit house helps, own real estate units for residential, commercial and industrial purposes in anywhere in Saudi except the holy cities of Makkah, Madinah and in the border areas.
Although bearers cannot own properties in Makkah and Madinah, they can however invest in real estate units there for periods of up to 99 years. The use of such real estate units will be under mechanisms to be formulated by the ministries of justice and commerce and investment. The beneficiaries can obtain the deeds for the use of real estate units from the notaries public.
Besides this, the holders of special residency visa and their immediate family members can own means of transportation, work in any private establishment and freely switch jobs. Also, the bearers will be able to take up any job in the private sector except those reserved for Saudi citizens.
The new visa will also enable bearers to travel out of the Kingdom and come back without hassle and can use special passport desks designated for Saudi citizens at airports.
There will be two kinds of privileged Iqamas - Iqamas of unlimited validity and Iqamas renewable every year. The preconditions for obtaining the special residency permit include a valid passport, sufficient financial liquidity, a clean criminal record and a health certificate proving that the applicant is free of any contagious diseases. The applicant should be at least 21 years old.
The privileged Iqama can be canceled if the bearer is convicted of a crime for which he or she is sentenced to 60 days or fined SR100,000, or if he or she has to be deported from the country under a court order. It can also be canceled in case the data provided in the application is found to be incorrect later.

• Saudi Arabia