(SAUDI ARABIA) — Saudi Arabia implemented new labor rules through the Qiwa platform, capping instant work visas for businesses operating for less than two years at 5 while allowing companies operating for more than two years to obtain up to 50 instant work visas.

The updated policy applies at the entity level and lets established companies secure those visas in a single application or through multiple applications submitted within the same week. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Qiwa platform confirmed the change.

Authorities said the move aims to regulate recruitment, push employers to meet labor market requirements and raise Saudisation rates. The shift gives older firms broader access to non-Saudi hiring while sharply limiting newly established businesses.

10 Mandatory Conditions for Visa Access

Access to any visa allocation now depends on a set of 10 mandatory conditions. Employers must maintain active business status with valid commercial registration and hold valid work permits for all current employees.

Companies also must remain in the medium green category or above under Saudisation rules and comply with the Wage Protection System. Qiwa also requires sufficient balances on government platforms including Absher and Muqeem.

Other conditions extend to the employer and the workplace record. The employer must be at least 18 years old, employee work locations must be registered on Qiwa, firms with 10+ workers must complete an annual self-assessment, and recruitment quota balances must match the visa type requested.

The package links visa access to compliance rather than demand alone. A company seeking to bring in non-Saudi workers now has to keep its registrations, permits, wage reporting and platform balances in order before it can use the system.

Establishment Programme Incentives

Businesses enrolled in the Establishment Programme receive an initial allocation of 2 visas if they meet the criteria. Additional visas become available after they increase their Saudisation rates.

That incentive creates a separate route for firms that want to expand hiring but cannot yet qualify for larger allocations. It also ties more hiring capacity to a higher share of Saudi workers, reinforcing the same policy direction behind the wider Qiwa changes.

Deadline on Expired Permits

Qiwa also set a firm deadline on expired permits. Employers have until June 30, 2026 to address cases involving non-Saudi employees whose work permits have expired.

After that date, employers must cancel registration for non-Saudi employees whose permits have expired or who have remained without a permit for more than three months, regardless of residency status. The requirement reaches beyond visa issuance and into the status of workers already on company records.

The deadline adds pressure on businesses that have delayed renewals or left permit records unresolved. Companies that want to keep using the Qiwa platform for recruitment now face a narrower margin for administrative lapses.

Nationality Rules and Restrictions

Nationality rules remain uneven across categories. Israeli passport holders remain permanently prohibited from entry, while GCC citizens do not need visas.

Saudi Arabia has not imposed permanent nationality bans on work visas more broadly, but temporary seasonal holds affect about 14 nationalities during Hajj and Umrah peak seasons. The countries listed include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Sudan.

High-volume labor-sending countries including India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh may also face scrutiny, delays or temporary quota pauses. Those restrictions sit alongside the broader compliance checks built into the new visa rules.

Impact on Different Business Types

The changes redraw the balance between speed and control in labor recruitment. New firms can still use instant work visas, but only on a much smaller scale, while older companies retain wider room to hire if they stay inside Qiwa’s compliance thresholds.

Employers that expanded quickly on the assumption that instant permits would remain broadly available now face a more restrictive system. Businesses with weak permit records, low Saudisation levels or gaps in wage compliance risk losing access to non-Saudi recruitment even before they reach the new visa caps.

Established companies get the clearest advantage under the revised structure. A business that has operated for more than two years and meets the platform’s conditions can secure up to 50 instant permits in one week, a gap that marks a sharp distinction from the 5-visa limit set for newer firms.

Smaller or newer employers, by contrast, now face two tests at once: a low ceiling on instant visas and a compliance screen that reaches across registrations, permits, wage systems and quota balances. Enrollment in the Establishment Programme offers an opening, but the initial allocation remains limited to 2 visas unless Saudisation rates rise.

The policy leaves little room for informal workarounds. Registration of work locations, valid permits for current staff and annual self-assessment for firms with 10+ workers now sit inside the same gatekeeping system that controls access to labor from abroad.

Saudi Arabia has paired that tighter recruitment framework with the June 30, 2026 permit deadline, forcing employers to review both future hiring plans and existing workforce records at the same time. Companies that want more room to recruit through Qiwa now have to show that their current house is already in order.