Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Muqeem platform, under the Ministry of Interior, has made amendments with regard to checking the visa status of holders of iqama (residency permit). According to the new amendment, the status of visa holder will be either “allowed to enter,” or “not allowed to enter.” The visa status checking service was previously limited to knowing the status of the visa in terms of “valid, used, expired, or cancelled.”

The Muqeem portal was launched to verify the status of new visas, and the service is available at present without charging any fees. The platform provides many services, most notably “verifying visas, obtaining a report about the visa status of the expatriate, and the possibility of verifying the status of a visitor. It also serves as a portal for obtaining permits to enter Makkah.

Many services related to foreign workers and establishments were transformed into electronic services during the last period, the most prominent of which is the Qiwa platform, which reduced the probationary period of new workers. The platform made an amendment in the probation period column in the form for electronic documentation of labor contracts so as to bring down the maximum period of probation to 90 days instead of 180 days and this is in alignment with the Labor Law, which stipulates that the probation period of a worker should not exceed 90 days.

This comes after employers made a mistake in fixing the probation period at 180 days while documenting employment contracts through the Qiwa platform, even though the Labor Law stressed that if both parties to the contractual relationship wish to extend the probation period to 180 days, this must be done by written agreement between them after coming into force the employment contract during the original probation period.

The platform reduced the period for accepting or rejecting justification for depositing workers’ salaries into the compliance system to only three days, after the previously specified period of seven days. The platform indicated that if the worker does not justify within the specified period, the justification submitted by the establishment’s representative will be processed automatically.

It is noteworthy that Muqeem is a pioneering digital portal, which was created to revolutionize documentation processes for expatriates in Saudi Arabia. With its user-friendly interface and extensive range of services, Muqeem has become an invaluable resource for foreign workers and organizations alike. Since its launch in 2007, Muqeem has registered over 40,000 users across the Kingdom, completing over 52 million e-transactions and transforming the way they interact with government agencies.

In addition to its time and cost-saving features, Muqeem ensures accuracy in obtaining information documentation and making informed decisions regarding their status in the Kingdom. Users can access and review their passports, traffic department reports, interactive services, subscriptions, transactions, and payments. Those looking to check the validity of their Saudi visas may do so by checking via the Muqeem. This also applies to holders of the exit/re-entry visa looking to check the validity and details of their visa