Latest news with #workpermits
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia launches new skill-based work permit system to attract global talent
Saudi Arabia has introduced a new classification system for expatriate work permits as part of its efforts to enhance labor market efficiency, attract international expertise, and support the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals. The initiative, announced by Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed al-Rajhi, will categorize foreign workers into three tiers: high-skill, skilled, and basic, based on factors such as qualifications, experience, technical abilities, wage levels, and age, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The system officially came into effect for incoming expatriates on July 1, while reclassification for current residents began on June 18, according to the ministry. The reform comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates development of its flagship giga-projects – including NEOM, the Red Sea Project, Qiddiya, and Diriyah Gate – which require a growing number of highly skilled professionals across sectors such as construction, engineering, tourism, and technology. According to SPA, the ministry stated that the new system is designed to 'enhance worker performance, attract global talent to transfer expertise and experience to the Saudi labor market, improve operational efficiency, benefit from international experience, and build an environment that supports innovation and the development of business models.' The reclassification will be implemented through the Qiwa platform and is aligned with the Unified Saudi Classification of Professions and Educational Levels. A unified digital assessment tool will ensure workers are evaluated consistently and matched to labor market needs. Authorities say this measure will help employers access better-qualified workers, reduce mismatches between skills and job requirements, and gradually lessen dependence on low-skilled labor. Encouraging labor market trends The announcement follows encouraging labor market trends in the Kingdom. The overall unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia dropped to 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025 – the lowest on record – while the unemployment rate for non-Saudis declined to 0.8 percent, according to figures from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). This reflects rising demand in the private sector and targeted recruitment aligned with sector-specific workforce requirements. Expatriates continue to play a vital role in the Saudi economy, representing 15.7 million people – or 44.4 percent of the total population – in 2024. Among working-age expatriates (aged 15 to 64), 89.9 percent are employed in productive sectors, according to GASTAT data. The new classification also complements the Professional Verification Program, launched in 2021 and expanded in 2024, which verifies the qualifications of foreign workers prior to arrival in the Kingdom. The initiative currently covers 128 countries and is expected to expand to 160, with a focus on key sectors such as engineering, healthcare, and education. Employers have been urged to review their workforce composition and reclassify employees accordingly through the Qiwa platform. The ministry's guidance also allows workers to request reassessments if they meet criteria for higher classifications. A points-based evaluation system will provide flexibility by allowing experience to compensate for gaps in formal education. The ministry said the complete guidance manual, detailing evaluation procedures and compliance requirements, is available on its official website.
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia unveils new skill-based system for expatriate work permits
RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi has issued a decision classifying the work permits of expatriate workers into three main skill categories: high-skill, skilled, and basic. The classification of existing work permits and technical system upgrades began on June 18 for expatriates currently working in the Saudi labor market. The classification would take effect for incoming expatriate workers as of July 1. The ministry has issued a guidance manual outlining all the details of the decision, which is available on its official website. This decision is part of the ministry's broader efforts to foster a more attractive and efficient labor market, develop human capital, and enhance the business environment, contributing to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program. The measure aims to enhance worker performance, attract global talent to transfer expertise and experience to the Saudi labor market, improve operational efficiency, benefit from international experience, and build an environment that supports innovation and the development of business models. The decision will improve verification mechanisms and enable better management of the skill-level distribution of expatriate workers in the labor market by ensuring that workers possess the required skills and qualifications for their job roles, in line with best international practices. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
South Florida teen fears for family's future as proposed rule threatens asylum seekers' work permits
A South Florida teenager is voicing concern for his family's future as reports circulate that a possible Trump administration regulation could strip work permits from many asylum seekers. The regulation could affect Venezuelans like his father, who fled political turmoil for a better life in the United States. "He came here to fight for us" Sebastian Latuche, 15, a ninth grader at a South Florida high school, says the potential change is weighing heavily on his family. "It just hurts me seeing him like this, worrying him too much. He came here to fight for us, to give us a better life," Sebastian told CBS News Miami. His father, Javier Latuche, has lived in the U.S. for 11 years after leaving Venezuela, where his business was confiscated by the Maduro regime. Now a small business owner running a real estate agency, Javier said he's deeply unsettled by reports of looming restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers. "I am scared of having my work permit revoked," he said, despite having applied for both Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and asylum. "I haven't been able to sleep, I could not work today, I feel extremely vulnerable," added the father of two, including an eight-year-old U.S. citizen. Sebastian echoed the fear gripping his household. "I'm worried because of the situation. Me, my dad and my mom, where we don't have papers yet." Community leaders warn of mental toll on families Venezuelan and immigrant rights activists gathered Wednesday at the Arepazo, a popular Venezuelan meeting spot in the City of Doral, to voice concerns about the potential policy's emotional toll, particularly on children. "The emotional toll, fear, and legal uncertainty are severely affecting the mental health of thousands of migrant children," said human rights activist Juan Correa Villalonga. Venezuelan activist Helen Villalonga pleaded for compassion. "What did we do to you Donald Trump to deserve this? Many of my people believed in you, trusted you to change Venezuela, not destroy our families." Two officials from the Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that the Trump administration is considering a regulation that would prevent most asylum seekers from obtaining work permits. Though no public announcement has been made, anxiety is spreading throughout immigrant communities. "Who can live in this city or anywhere in the U.S. without a work permit?" said José Antonio Colina of the Venezuelan Political Persecuted Exiles group. In a statement to CBS News, DHS declined to confirm the reports, stating it does not comment on the "deliberate process or possible decision making." However, the department added: "Over the previous years, the Biden administration eviscerated the integrity of America's asylum system. The department is exploring all possible options to protect our national security and increase program integrity." A teen's hope for stability For Sebastian, the immigration debate is not about politics. It's about family. "Now it's just getting a little harder than my parents imagined it to be. They came here for me and my brother."
CBS News
03-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Trump officials crafting rule to prevent asylum-seekers from getting work permits
The Trump administration is considering a regulation that would prevent most asylum-seekers from getting work permits, potentially upending longstanding U.S. immigration policy, two Department of Homeland Security officials told CBS News. A proposal by officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would amount to an indefinite pause on the U.S. government's decades-old policy of allowing migrants with pending asylum claims to work in the country lawfully while their cases are decided, the DHS officials said, requesting anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The proposed changes — which have not been previously reported — would add yet another layer to President Trump's government-wide immigration crackdown, targeting a massively backlogged asylum system that his top aides have argued is being systematically exploited by economic migrants. But a halt to work permits for asylum-seekers would also trigger concerns among advocates that it could prevent migrants from supporting themselves and their families, and drive them to work illegally in the underground economy. Since the 1990s, U.S. law has allowed immigration officials to grant work permits to asylum applicants if their cases have been pending for at least 180 days. Generally speaking, that has allowed asylum applicants to request a work permit 150 days after they make their claim. Those eligible can be granted the permit after another 30 days. But a regulation under internal consideration by the Trump administration would suspend the issuance of new work permits to asylum-seekers until USCIS decides all asylum claims within an average of 180 days, the DHS officials said. That timeframe would be exceedingly difficult to meet in the near future, given massive case backlogs and operational constraints. Last year, for example, a federal government watchdog found that over 77% of the asylum applications before USCIS had been pending for beyond 180 days. Nearly 40% of applications remained unresolved after two years. Even if the 180-day processing average is reached, the proposal would require asylum-seekers to wait one year until after they file their application — instead of six months — to be eligible for a work permit, the DHS officials said. It's unclear when the regulation may be publicly announced, or if it will be altered before being finalized. Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, said it does not comment on the "deliberative process or possible decision making." "Over the previous four years, the Biden administration eviscerated the integrity of America's asylum system. The Department is exploring all possible options to protect our national security and increase program integrity," DHS said in its statement. "DHS is working to mitigate all forms of fraud and abuse." The changes under consideration by the Trump administration would apply to asylum seekers with pending applications sent to USCIS and those in deportation proceedings before the immigration courts, which are overseen by the Justice Department. Asylum can be granted to foreigners on U.S. soil who prove they are fleeing persecution due to their nationality, race, religion, political views or membership in a social group. While factors like nationality and legal representation play a key role, many applicants do not ultimately meet the high legal threshold to win asylum, government figures show. Still, over the past decade, amid record arrivals of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the number of asylum applications has ballooned. USCIS is overseeing roughly 1.5 million asylum applications, while the immigration courts are reviewing another 2 million, according to government data. The plan under consideration would seek to eliminate what Trump administration officials have described as a magnet for migrants using the asylum system simply to work in the U.S. It echoes a 2020 rule issued by the first Trump administration that sought to increase the waiting period for asylum applicants requesting work authorization from six months to a year and impose other restrictions on eligibility for work permits. The proposed rule would also be the latest step taken by the second Trump administration to make the U.S. inhospitable for asylum-seekers. Immediately after returning to the White House in January, President Trump all but closed the U.S. asylum system, giving border agents the power to summarily deport most migrants on the grounds the country is facing an "invasion." That emergency order is being challenged by pro-immigrant advocates, who say it ignores American asylum law. Conchita Cruz, the co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, a group that supports those with asylum claims, said efforts to curtail work permits for the migrants she serves would hurt U.S. communities and employers. "Asylum seekers are playing critical roles in a wide array of jobs — they are the doctors and the people cleaning the hospitals," Cruz said.
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kuwait suspends hiring of unvetted expats
KUWAIT CITY - The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has introduced a new regulation for issuing work permits for specific categories, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Workers requiring security screening must first obtain approval from PAM before seeking security clearance from the Ministry of Interior. Meanwhile, informed sources said PAM will continue to accept work permits for doctors, engineers, and government contract workers from Egypt, along with a few exceptional cases. In other news, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Sabah has issued Ministerial Circular No. 1/2025 to suspend changes to the academic qualifications or professions of expatriates recruited on work permits or transferred to the private sector, reports. In this regard, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) explained that the circular aims to regulate the labor market, ensure compatibility between academic specialization and job roles, and promote equal job opportunities. The circular, which was published on the PAM's X account, states that, in line with procedures regulating academic qualifications and professions approved by PAM, amendments to the academic qualifications or job titles of expatriate workers recruited with work permits or transferred to the private sector are suspended in cases where the requested amendment involves a higher educational level that is not compatible with the nature of the profession for which they were originally hired or transferred. Arab Times | © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( arabtimes
