Saudi Arabia suspends all visas for 14 countries, including Pakistan

Riyadh: In a major announcement, Saudi Arabia has suspended the issuance of ‘Block Work Visa Quotas’ for citizens of 14 countries until June 2025.

The affected countries include Pakistan, India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, and others. This decision has been made with the aim of immigration control, preventing rush, and preventing illegal Hajj before the Hajj season.

A block work visa is a quota that Saudi companies can use to recruit workers from specific countries after getting pre-approved. After this ban, new applications will not be accepted, old applications may be delayed or rejected. People who received a visa but did not enter Saudi Arabia may face difficulty in entering.

Along with this, Saudi Arabia has also temporarily stopped Umrah, family visit, business, and tourist visas for several countries. These restrictions will continue until the end of June 2025 and are likely to be relaxed after the Hajj season.