A short-term work visa issued through Qiwa. How it is processed on the Pakistani side, and what differs from a standard work visa.
A Saudi temporary work visa is a short-term work visa that the employer issues through Qiwa for work of a defined period. From Pakistan, the worker is processed on almost the same route as a standard work visa: medical, Wakala, skill test where the profession requires it, E-number and biometrics, stamping, and Protector of Emigrants clearance. The E-number and the biometric procedure are the steps that differ.
The employer issues the visa through Qiwa, the Ministry of Human Resources platform. The employer has to meet the Ministry's compliance conditions, which include its Nitaqat (Saudization) status and having available quota. Validity, quotas and eligibility are set by the Ministry and have been revised more than once, so the employer should confirm the current terms on Qiwa when the visa is issued rather than rely on an older figure.
Two steps: the E-number and the biometric procedure. Everything else follows the same protocol. The practical point for an employer is to tell the agency the visa type when sending the visa copy, so the file is opened on the right route from the start.
About the same as a standard processing-only file: two to three weeks where no skill test is needed, three to four weeks where it is. For short-term work, that matters. Plan the visa around the start date, not the other way round.