Wednesday, July 30, 2025
New Work Visa Classification System to Attract Skilled Foreign Workers
A new three-tier system for all foreign workers has been introduced as part of a significant upgrade to Saudi Arabia's work visa system. This reform is a part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to modernize the labor market and recruit top global talent. It will be effective for current employees on July 5, 2025, and for new hires on August 3, 2025.
The revised work visa categories are organized into three levels:
The new Saudi work visa regulations divide foreign workers into three categories based on their level of expertise.
🔘 Highly Skilled Workers: Set aside for those who work in extremely specialized fields, such as engineering, medicine, and computer science. A scoring system will be in place that takes into account a candidate's education, work experience, and pay. Similar: Big changes to Saudi visa rules
🔘 Skilled Workers: Technicians, administrative assistants, and supervisors all fall into this category. While not every highly skilled point is required, it is essential to have the appropriate credentials and proven work experience.
🔘 Basic Workers: Designated for manual labor and support roles. Workers in this category must be under the age of 60.
Why Should Job Seekers Care About This?
The new Saudi work visa categorization makes the recruitment process more transparent and consistent. Now that applicants can see how their credentials fit into the system, employers can see how their visa classifications match up with the actual job requirements.
People who have technical skills, a bachelor's degree, or certified work experience now have more options to advance in their careers. For international applicants seeking to advance to higher levels, programs like Qualification Verification and Skills Verification will be essential tools.
What Must the Employer Do?
Companies in Saudi Arabia must now comply with the new visa law.
🔸 Using the updated skill levels, properly categorize all expat workers.
🔸 Update job titles and records using the Qiwa platform.
🔸 Submit corrections if any classification errors are found.
Failure to comply may result in restrictions on future foreign workforce hiring. Recommend: GCC Grand Tourist visa
Factors That Influence A Job Seeker's Classification:
To improve one's odds of getting ranked higher
🔸 Gather and verify all of your academic credentials and employment history.
🔸 Join programs that verify your skills and get recognition from Saudi Arabia.
🔸 Verify that your official contract and platform documents accurately reflect your employment title and responsibilities.
Unclear Areas: Benefits Based on Tier:
Saudi Arabian officials have not yet revealed the potential differences in visa costs, processing timeframes, privileges, or rights between different levels. On the other hand, it is feasible that in the not too distant future, higher-tier categories will provide job opportunities that are either more secure or more quickly available.
Conclusion:
Saudi Arabia’s 2025 work visa reforms represent a major step toward building a qualified, future-ready workforce. Transparency, better job-market alignment, and the Kingdom's ambition to attract top foreign talent are all encouraged by the new categorization system.
Whether you are already working in Saudi Arabia or just thinking about applying, it's crucial that you familiarize yourself with the new system so you can deal with your career path and visa application with ease. Follow Saudi Expatriates on X platform
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| New Work Visa Classification System to Attract Skilled Foreign Workers |
