Nationals from India seeking employment in Saudi Arabia will now be subject to a skill verification test.
The recent changes have been introduced as part of efforts to improve the quality of professional work, VisaGuide.World reports.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have introduced the Skill Verification Program (SVP) test compulsory for specific roles, and it will further be expanded to other categories, based on a report in the Economic Times.
The same source notes that at present, the skill verification test is required for a total of 19 professions, including plumbers, pipefitters, building electricians, underwater welders, and electrical transformer assemblers among others.
The program was introduced in 2021 and requires all persons working or planning to work to get a job in order to give both written as well as practical exams.
The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in India informed recruiting agencies about the skill verification test.
In March this year, authorities in Saudi Arabia permitted all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) residents to file an application for a visit visa in this country. Previously, only persons practicing specific professions were eligible to apply for such a visa.
At present, visitors are eligible to apply for a multiple-entry visa for a period of up to 90 days.
According to local media reports, the permit would remain valid for a period of one year, therefore permitting persons to perform Umrah, except during the Haj season.
Applicants are eligible to receive a single-entry visa for a period of more than 30 days, the validity of which is three months from the issuance date. In order to benefit from such a visa, applicants are required to hold an ID from Gulf countries which is valid for at least three months.
In May this year, authorities in Saudi Arabia announced that they decided to replace the visa stickers with e-visas for its missions in seven countries, taking also into account the United Arab Emirates, India as well as the Philippines.
The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs back then stressed that QR codes are being used instead of stickers that were previously placed on passports.
Saudi Arabia’s electronic visa system was introduced as part of efforts to ease the application process for tourists after it can be finalized online by submitting the application in an electronic way.
In order to apply, persons should access the e-visa application website by clicking the “apply now button” filling in the visa application form, paying the visa fee, and waiting for the e-visa to be processed, which takes 30 minutes.
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