New visa rules in Saudi Arabia: Here's everything expats need to know

TL;DR: Saudi Arabia ’s new visa policy now considers skills, experience, and salary. Expats are grouped into three levels: high-skilled, skilled, and basic.

This change joins with Vision 2030 and big national projects like NEOM and Qiddiya . While professionals may benefit from this system, it could make life harder for low-wage workers.

Companies face new compliance rules and documentation responsibilities.


Change Has a New Name: Skill-Based Visas

Ask any expat who’s worked in Saudi Arabia over the last few decades, and they’ll likely tell you the same thing: your job title often defined your life. Whether it was a cleaner, a technician, or a surgeon everyone held the same general residency permit, known as an iqama, regardless of their skill set. That era is now coming to a close.

As of July 2025, Saudi Arabia has introduced a completely new work permit system that ranks foreign workers based on their actual qualifications, experience, and income levels. In simpler terms, it’s no longer just about what’s written on your job contract but what you bring to the table.

The new structure breaks workers into three categories:

• High-skilled (specialists in engineering, medicine, AI, etc.)
• Skilled (those in technical trades and supervisory roles)
• Basic (labour-intensive jobs like driving, cleaning, or loading)

Everything is being managed through the Qiwa platform, a digital system under the Ministry of Human Resources. The scoring system considers multiple factors, from education and professional history to age and monthly pay.


Why This Change Now?

This reform is tied to something far bigger, that is Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

This national plan aims to push Saudi beyond oil and into sectors like tourism, technology, and more. And to get there, they need people who can build, code, design, and manage high-level professionals from around the globe.

Projects like:

• NEOM (the futuristic $500B smart city)
• Qiddiya (a massive culture and entertainment destination)
• The Red Sea Project (a luxury eco-tourism site)
• Diriyah Gate (focused on restoring historical identity)

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill developments. They require talent that fits modern, niche roles: climate specialists, AI ethicists, or urban mobility planners. That’s where the new visa tiers come in. The country wants to attract the right minds for the job.


What If You’re Already Working in Saudi?

For expats already living in the Kingdom, the changes started taking effect in mid-June 2025, and the government has given employers a window until August 3 to update records.

If you’re a professional, this might actually work in your favour:

• Your experience and education could help with faster renewals
• You may have more job options across sectors
• Long-term residency and family sponsorships may be easier to secure

But if your job falls under the basic category, you might find yourself facing:

• More documents to submit
• Delays in visa processing
• Potential complications when switching jobs or renewing your permit

This shift doesn’t necessarily mean anyone is being pushed out—it just means the criteria are tightening, especially at the lower end of the job market.



A Look Back: How Saudi Arabia Handled Expats Before

To understand where things are headed, it helps to revisit where they began.

For decades, Saudi Arabia used the kafala system, where a worker’s employer acted as their sponsor. The sponsor had sweeping control over many aspects of the worker’s life, from contract renewals to travel permissions.

By the early 2000s, the system started facing criticism, especially from rights organisations. And so, the government began tweaking it.

First came Nitaqat in 2011, which rewarded businesses for hiring more Saudi nationals. Later, with Vision 2030, came bigger reforms introducing more job mobility, removing some exit visa restrictions, and slowly moving toward a digitised labour market.

Now, with this skill-based model, Saudi Arabia is making its boldest move yet, one that’s meant to fit the demands of a changing economy.


What About Employers?

If you're running a business in Saudi Arabia, this reform is a real operational shift.

HR teams must now ensure:

• Educational credentials match job roles
• Salaries are aligned with the worker's assigned tier
• Contracts and employee titles are uploaded correctly in Qiwa

Mistakes here won’t just cause delays, they could result in penalties or rejection of visa applications. For larger firms, these processes might be manageable. But small and medium enterprises will need to adapt quickly or risk falling behind.



Is Kafala Really Gone?

While the skill-based model is a leap forward, not all older traditions have been removed. In practice, many expats especially in the lower skill brackets still need employer approval to:

• Leave the country
• Bring family members over
• Switch jobs

This shows that while the system is evolving, it still has legacy issues that need ironing out.


Will Remittances Be Affected?

According to data from early 2025, expats in Saudi Arabia send back over SR12.78 billion ($3.4 billion) every month in remittances.

Under the new system:

• Fewer low-income workers might enter, reducing overall numbers
• But more high-income professionals might send larger amounts individually

This could reshape how money flows back to India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, some of the biggest recipients of Gulf remittances.


The Bigger Picture: Going Digital, Going Smart

This reform isn’t happening in isolation. It’s part of a larger digital transformation, which includes:

• The Professional Verification Program – Ensures all credentials are real before workers even arrive
• The Wage Protection System – Tracks salary payments in real time
• Platforms like Qiwa, Musaned, and Taqat – Handle everything from hiring to filing complaints

The end goal through this mission is a labour market that is traceable, fair, and more efficient.


The Verdict

Whether you're a software developer from India, a nurse from the Philippines, or a construction worker from Bangladesh, this change affects you.

For some, it may mean greater freedom, faster processing, and better benefits. For others, it might feel like an extra hurdle to stay in a country they’ve long called home.


FAQs

Q. What are the three skill levels in the new visa system?
High-skilled (specialists like engineers), Skilled (supervisors), and Basic (manual labour roles like cleaners).

Q. Can workers challenge their skill classification?
Not directly. But their employer can submit updated documents and request a review through Qiwa.

Q. Will this make it easier to bring family to Saudi Arabia?
Yes, for workers in the high-skill tier, family sponsorship and long-term residency are more accessible.