DAMMAM, 10 September 2003 — The Passports Department may soon provide exit/re-entry visas to expatriates through ATMs, one of several planned changes which are aimed at cutting red tape.
Every company and sponsor employing foreign workers will be given a code which representatives of the companies will key into the ATM, debiting the visa fee from their account.
It is not clear when this new system will be implemented, but Passports Office officials say that a number of sweeping changes in procedures will be introduced by 2004.
The Passports Department is working on the changes with the Ministry of Finance.
At present, the process of obtaining exit/re-entry visa involves lengthy paperwork and a great deal of other bureaucracy. It usually takes at least two days to get a visa approved.
Company executives say that if the new system is implemented it will make the process much easier and especially help expatriate workers who need to leave in the event of an emergency.
The Passports Department has also decided to stop the practice of asking applicants to deposit money with prescribed banks and then obtain a receipt from them, which they afterward present at the Passports Department.
According to Abdul Aziz Al-Sajeeni, Director General of Passports, within two months the practice will end and applicants will instead pay the fee at any ATM.
He said the new practice would reduce pressure on the Passports Department and also make the process much easier for applicants, who will no longer need to queue at the banks.
After Haj 2004, he added, the Passports Department will replace the current iqama booklets with new plastic smart cards, which will contain all the carrier’s vital information.
Sajeeni said his department was successfully fighting the problem of overstayers, especially in and around Jeddah.
“Our efforts and the cooperation of citizens have yielded positive results, and overstayers are no longer a big threat,” he said.
