- Saudi Arabia introduced new work visa caps that set different limits for newly established and older businesses
- The changes replace a framework that previously did not tie visa quotas to how long a company had been operating
- Foreign workers seeking Saudi jobs may need to check a potential employer’s visa quota before committing to any offer
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere brings more than 10 years of experience in business journalism, with expertise in the Nigerian economy, stock market, and broader financial trends.
Saudi Arabia has set new limits on the number of work visas that businesses can obtain, with the rules varying based on how long a company has been in operation.
Under the revised framework, businesses that have been running for less than two years are restricted to a maximum of five work visas.
Photo: Saudi
Source: Getty Images
Companies that have crossed the two-year mark can access up to 50 visas, applied for either through a single submission or multiple applications filed within the same week.
The Economic Times reported that the changes mark a significant departure from the previous system, which applied uniform rules to all employers regardless of their operating history.
Separate Rules for Establishing Programme Participants
Businesses enrolled in Saudi Arabia’s Establishing Programme fall under a different set of rules.
These companies start with a quota of just two work visas, and that figure rises as they advance through the programme and improve their Nitaqat classification.
Nitaqat is the Saudi government’s employer classification system, which ranks companies based on the proportion of Saudi nationals in their workforce.
A higher Nitaqat score generally reflects greater compliance with the kingdom’s Saudisation targets and unlocks more access to foreign labour.
What This Means for Foreign Workers
The new rules carry direct consequences for foreign nationals pursuing work opportunities in Saudi Arabia, particularly those from countries with large Gulf-bound workforces such as India.
A company with less than two years of operating history can sponsor only five foreign workers in total, meaning its capacity to complete a recruitment process may be limited.
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By contrast, a more established employer can recruit up to 50 workers from abroad, offering greater certainty to prospective hires.
Photo: Nurphoto
Source: Getty Images
Prospective employees are now advised to look beyond salary and job title when evaluating a Saudi job offer.
Verifying an employer’s operating history, Nitaqat classification, and remaining visa quota could be critical before paying any recruitment fees or signing a contract.
The broader intent behind the changes appears to be linking foreign labour access to business development.
Rather than applying blanket visa rules across all employers, Saudi authorities are now giving older, better-classified businesses more room to recruit internationally while placing tighter restrictions on newer enterprises.
US announces visa rule changes from September 2026
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a significant overhaul of its visa rules for international students, exchange visitors, and foreign journalists, replacing an arrangement that had allowed many to remain in the country indefinitely under their programme status.
The rule, unveiled on Thursday, July 16, scraps the long-standing “duration of status” system and imposes fixed admission periods on holders of F, J, and I visas. It will come into force 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, pending congressional review.
Source: Legit.ng