Your complete guide to the Saudi skilled work permit system
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Saudi Arabia is currently going through one of the most iconic shifts the world has ever seen. With that comes incredible megaprojects, infrastructure changes, and more. All of which require some level of talented foreign nationals, and as a way to entice them to get in on the ground floor, the country is now offering the Saudi skilled worker permits.
Designed to help and solidify the Ministry’s commitment to regulating the labour market and enhancing human competencies, the Saudi skilled worker permits aim to develop a new system for the recruitment of non-Saudi workers into the labor market.
Categories
There are three categories that foreign workers can be classified into; these include:
- Highly-skilled
- Skilled
- Basic
Classification criteria
These categories have been identified based on the Saudi standard classification of occupations (primary occupational groups and job codes) and specific classification criteria, including
- Educational qualifications
- Professional experience
- Professional skills
- Wages
- Age.
Requirements
Each of the categories have different requirements, and depending on which one you’re applying for, you’d need to fill every checkbox.
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High-Skilled
Work permits for the High-Skilled Level will be classified according to the following criteria
- The profession must fall within one of the main occupational groups (1 to 3) as per the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations.
- The worker’s total wage must not be less than the minimum threshold for the high-skilled level, as determined by the Ministry for the economic activity.
- The worker must meet the requirements of the Professional Accreditation Program defined by the Ministry for the main occupational groups (1 to 3).
- The worker must pass the points-based system set by the Ministry for this level, which is based on three main criteria: educational qualifications, professional experience, and wage.
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Skilled
Work permits for the skilled level will be classified according to the following conditions:
- The profession must fall within one of the main occupational groups (4 to 8), as per the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations.
- The worker’s total wage must not be less than the minimum threshold for this level, as determined by the Ministry.
- The worker must meet the requirements of the Professional Accreditation Program defined by the Ministry for the main occupational groups (4 to 8).
- The profession may fall within one of the main occupational groups (1 to 3) if the worker does not meet the minimum wage threshold set for the high-skilled level.
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Basic
The Saudi skilled work permit system for the Basic Level will be classified according to the following conditions:
- The profession must fall within the main occupational group (9), as per the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations.
- If applicable for the profession, the worker must meet the requirements of the professional accreditation program defined by the Ministry for the main occupational group (9).
- The age of the non-Saudi worker must not exceed 60 years.
- The profession may fall within one of the main occupational groups (1 to 8) if the worker does not meet the minimum wage threshold set for the skilled level.
What is the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations?
The Saudi Unified Occupational Classification (SSCO) provides a system for classifying and aggregating occupational information collected through censuses, surveys, and administrative records. It follows the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), which was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Statistical Commission as a revision of the previous ISCO-88 version.
The classification is structured hierarchically into five levels, allowing for the categorization of all jobs globally into 433 occupational units. Level details can be found here.
Visit: hrsd.gov.sa
Images: Getty
