Work visit visa?

Hello all!  I am Kierstien (a female) from California, USA, looking to move to Riyadh soon to teach but I have a question about my visa and the visa process.

My potential employer says that I should be applying for a "work visit visa" as it is the easiest and least expensive visa to process and that it will be able to be converted into an iqama once in Saudi.  They also have stated that with the working visit visa that it is multiple entry/exit but from what I understand about the visas neither of these statements seem to be true.  Can anyone help? 

Can I "come and go as I please" without paying extra fees for a new visa each time with a work visit visa?  Can I get an iqama once in the country with that type of visa when the work visit visas are supposed to only be good for a maximum of 90 days with a possible extension to 6 months? 

Please help as I don't want to be stuck in KSA without the ability to get a bank account and sim card (or all the other things that an iqama allows).

Yeah if the visa work visit visa you get is a multiple one you can travel as you please without paying extra. In case of a co worker here he was able to obtain a 5 year visa from US of such kind and he is quite happy with it. Trust me iqama comes with it bagful of hassles !

Live.ali,

Thanks for the help!  Do you know if your co-worker was able to get an iqama with the work visit visa?  I only ask because it seems without one that I am not able to even get a bank account which I need to transfer money home to the US.

Unfortunately you cannot open a bank account with your visa and that is the probably the only thing that will effect you. The other thing being not been able to own a car, which you won't anyway. In case like yours, the company should pay whatever portion you need for your expenses in cash and wire the rest to your home bank.

In my colleagues case he did not want to convert it into iqama, he like his independence and lives in Bahrain. However, I have seen many cases where company was able to convert a work visa into an iqama. Ofcourse this needs a good "waasta" in the higher ranks.

On the flipside, you would need to negotiate your 'End of Service Benefit', which is payable after 2 years of service.
However, it is payable only if you have a valid iqama.

Assalam Alia Kum:

May Allah bless all of you for helping with all the information you people are sharing here in expat forum. In my case I wanted to check if it is possible to get an Iqama for my baby to travel to India legally (without exit) on a valid visa from Saudi Arabia. Pointers that I want to share are, my wife having her first delivery at her mother's place that is Riyadh. Things that the baby has are as follows.
1)    Birth certificate issued by the Kingdom S A.
2)    Passport from the embassy of India.
3)    My wife dependent Iqama (on her father work visa).
I stay in India & I want my baby should be able to travel to Saudi when ever my wife is visiting KSA to her mother's place so I wanted to check if any one of u can help with any information in my case that can be of any help.
Any help or information is appreciated.

Thank you.
Jazak Allah Bhi Khair.

hi
you can open a bank account as long you have a valid residence ID (Iqama) even if you are not working..
are you coming sponsored under a relative/ family member or as employed personnel?

I am coming on a work visit visa.  I am being sponsored by the school I will work for.  My contract is for a year but I think the work visit visa is only good for 6 months from what I understand.

Have you got a clue on that. I sit possible to convert work visit visa to Iqama while in the KSA? have the same sitution here