RIYADH, 13 November 2007 — The US Embassy in Riyadh has advised Saudi students studying in the United States to remain there and not return to the Kingdom to renew their visas at the US Embassy during the winter break. The embassy advised the students to renew their visas when they return to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2008.
“Students are urged to plan ahead to renew student visas early during the summer of 2008 rather than returning to Saudi Arabia to renew their visas in December 2007,” the embassy stated.
The embassy clarified: “There is no penalty, legal or financial, for students who remain in the United States even if their student visa has expired as long as they have not changed schools and have maintained their academic standings as students in good status.”
Many Saudi students plan to return to the Kingdom during the December school holidays in order to visit friends and family but the conjunction of the Eid holiday in Saudi Arabia and the US holidays in December and January “will make it very difficult for the embassy to process applications during that period.”
The embassy will be closed for business from Dec. 18-25 and again on Jan. 1. This closing period coincides with the Saudi official holiday for Eid Al-Adha and Haj for government departments which is Dec. 12-23. The embassy advised Saudi students currently studying in the US to use the online appointment system at http://ksa.us-visaservices.com to book their renewal appointments for the early summer of 2008. Students who wish to study in the United States in the future can also plan ahead by scheduling their visa interviews online and set a time convenient for them.
The embassy did not comment on a question from Arab News regarding complaints by many Saudis on the lack of sufficient phone lines for public inquires.
The American government has made a number of amendments to the laws that regulate the entrance of foreigners and has taken precautionary security measures following the events of 9/11.
According to the website for the US Embassy in Riyadh, American consulates are responsible for carrying out security checks concerning the visa requests that they receive; they also carry out particular security inquiries that are required by law for some visa applicants, which may cause a delay in the procedure.
In 2006, 11,000 visas were issued to Saudi students in comparison to 4,539 in 2001. The rise in the number of Saudi students is attributed to the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which provides government-paid scholarships to high school graduates, university graduates, as well those seeking higher education in foreign universities.
The United States currently has the largest number of Saudi students (11,000), followed by the United Kingdom (6,000). Saudis also study in other European countries as well as Asian and South East Asian countries, but in smaller numbers.
