SCORES of expatriate workers living in the Kingdom enjoy a permanent visa status for their family. However, this does not help those who have more than one wife.
“I have two wives, but I couldn’t get a residence visa for both. As a result, I could bring only one of my wives and her children here,” said Aslam Rahil, a Pakistani engineer who has lived in Jeddah for 7 years.
Rahil married his second wife two years back. He has three daughters from his first wife. “I want to bring my second wife here from Pakistan and wish to have children with her,” he said, adding that his second wife is insecure as she has not been able to produce a son so far.
Many expatriates are unable to deal equally with their wives who live in their home country as they stay here with only one wife and her children brought here on a permanent visa status. “I went to Pakistan only once to meet with my second wife after marriage,” said Rahil.
In Saudi Arabia, polygamy is an accepted practice. Under Islamic law, a Muslim man may take as many as four wives, provided that he can support and treat them all equally.
Dr. Ali Hasnain, an Egyptian therapist, has three wives. He brings his wives one at a time on visas to the Kingdom. “When I failed to get permanent visas for all my wives, I decided not to bring any one of them permanently. Instead, I invite them on visitor’s visas one at a time and so none of them complain of unequal treatment,” he said.
Basha Nawaz Khan, an international legal expert, said that the Kingdom does not permit the entry of more than one wife and the children of other wives on a permanent visa. They, however, can enter on a visitor’s visa.
“The latest regulations of the local passport authorities (Jawazat) do not permit an expatriate to bring more than one wife or the children of other wives here,” said Khan.
He said that if the profession mentioned on one’s Iqama is that of a laborer, driver, agricultural laborer, tailor, etc., he is not eligible to apply for a residential visa or a visitor’s visa.
Relevant applicants should have a minimum salary of SR3500 (and above). Iqama holders with professions like that of doctors, engineers, IT engineers, legal advisers, chief mechanics, accountants, investors, sales managers, and marketing managers can apply for a permanent family visa, for only one family.
The applicant’s salary certificate issued by the sponsor and attested educational certificates are required when he is applying for a visitor’s visa or a family visa. Polygamy is widespread among Muslims in South Asia sanctioned under the Islamic law of Shariah, with polygamous marriages constituting one to three percent of all marriages.
A Pakistani investor, requesting anonymity, who wanted to bring his second wife on an investor’s visa, said he obtained a family visa for his second wife only after a long uphill struggle. “I succeeded to bring both my wives to the Kingdom, but this is not possible now as per the local authorities,” he said.
According to the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) rules, investment license holders and owners of a company/ establishment/ industry/ factory in Saudi Arabia can bring their first wife within a couple of weeks of obtaining a business license.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a relatively easy online procedure of obtaining a visitor’s visa.
“The visitor’s visa can be extended two to three times as per the requirement, with the payment of SR100 as the fee. In the case of the wife’s pregnancy, the visitor’s visa can be extended until her delivery, on the basis of a relevant medical certificate,” said advocate Khan.
Muhammad Abdullah (name changed), an Indian sales manager, obtained a temporary visitor’s visa for his second wife from Nepal, although he originally wished to get a permanent family visa for her.
“I married a Nepali Muslim woman after I converted to Islam from Hinduism. Since I already have my Indian wife’s picture on my Iqama, I was not eligible for obtaining a permanent family visa for my second wife who is also a Muslim convert,” he said.
Abdullah’s first wife plans to sue him in India for marrying a second time.
Under the Hindu Marriage Act of India, polygamy is illegal for Hindus. The law excludes Muslim Indians. As compared to India, polygamy is more common among the Hindus in Nepal because of which most Nepali women are accustomed to being a second wife.
Abdullah said his first wife refused to divorce him and to return to India permanently. “Since we have two kids, I cannot ignore my first wife.
But I can bring my Nepali wife on a permanent visa only after I send my first family back,” he said. – SG
Credit for the above info: Saudi Gazette Internet Edition, by Sameera Aziz
Leave A Reply (16 comments so far)
ummabdullah
October 31, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Ana
November 5, 2009 at 8:53 am
I thank you for your patience and apologize for not being able to get back to you sooner. The info. you requested is as follows:
www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008122124702
Any information you have that would shed any light on the subject, would be much appreciated.
How easy is it for a foreigner in Saudi to marry a Saudi woman?
I know of an African American Muslim who moved to Saudi on a visa to study. He said the Saudis refused to marry their daughters to him, as he is a Black man. He said there is a lot of prejudice there with reference interracial marriage of a Saudi woman to a Black male.
He took his American wife with him to Saudi. He said they are separated, but no one was aware of it. He said his American wife would have to return to America, if they are no longer married. Who knows whether he's really separated or just lied? He was interested in him and I marrying.
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
Nazim Beedassy
November 17, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Asslamu Alaikum
Amina
November 21, 2009 at 9:26 am
Ana
November 21, 2009 at 12:20 pm
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
Haji Rafiq
November 22, 2009 at 4:35 am
Ana
November 22, 2009 at 6:42 am
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
Mai
November 22, 2009 at 2:56 pm
UmmAbdullah - they are referring to the residence permit/iqama when they say permanent residence I believe. They term it permanent because it doesn't require constant renewal, only on a yearly or two yearly basis.
As for the rules here, a British brother working in Madinah told my DH that he almost married a Saudi woman after obtaining all the government approvals, etc. However, it simply didn't work out between them. I don't know what exactly the procedure is to apply to marry a Saudi, but I know it takes a bit of time. I remember a friend in Bahrain was married to a Saudi and had to live in Bahrain for around 2 years until her husband could get her a visa to enter and live here.
I, too, am surprised at the lack of provision for multiple wives for expatriates. However, I suppose it is different when bringing people in to work on visas, etc. Realistically, it is a lot to ask to bring in another family at the employer's expense, as they cover medical as well.
One man here has four wives and he is an expatriate. Only one of them is Saudi, so I wonder how the others can stay. I think one family stays in his home country and perhaps the others are here under an iqama for some other purpose, not as his wives. Surely, it is not a simple thing.
As far as the University of Madinah situation, students can come in on a married status, but their conditions are different. They don't get the dorm accommodation, they have an allowance which the family cannot easily survive on, and I'm not sure if the status can be changed once they have entered as single students. However, it is quite possible that he simply hasn't asked the right people. He would need to speak to the University staff first to see how he can get her here. The difficulty may lie in him being able to support her, but they definitely do allow students to be here with wives and children. We are friends with some families who are exactly that.
Ana
November 22, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Wow Mai, you're just a wealth of information. Thank you so much for helping everyone out. It's really very kind of you. I keep learning more and more each day.
I pray that you and your family are settled in there and are happy and at peace (f)
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
Ana
November 22, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Everyone please forgive me. No disrespect intended to Saudi Arabia. I was there and I experienced a bit of a culture shock. Insha Allah, I intend to go back soon, to experience it from a different perspective, a much better perspective for my spirituality.
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
fatimafaisal
November 24, 2009 at 2:33 am
Im second wife of my husband who has 3 wives. In my case, when i married him i dont know he married already also he married third one i have no idea abt it(coz i was living in my country alone for 2yrs). This year he told the truth to all of us and dont want to dirvoce any one of us.
Now he is working in Dubai, as he told me that its allow to bring more than one wife in UAE only if u can prove that u have enough money to suport all of ur wife. is it true?
Ana
November 27, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I was waiting to see if someone would come forward with an answer to your question about the policies in Dubai, regarding multiple wives of a husband moving there. I would love to help you; however, I don't know the answer.
I pray that everything works out with you and your husband. I know it can't be easy finding out after marrying your husband that he already had a wife, and later finding out he took a third. I'm a strong believer in mutual consultation amongst parties. No one should be forced to accept someone else's decision, or should I say have someone else's decision imposed on them.
Insha Allah, someone with knowledge of the answer to your question will be forthcoming.
Thank you fatimafaisal for visiting and for your question. Please visit us again soon and often.
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.
aoun ali
February 10, 2011 at 1:58 am
brother my name is aoun ali, i have done my intermediate from saudia Arabia and did higher education in london, i have started my job in Saudi but the thing is that the company have given me 90 days of prohibition time period and my visa status is student my question is how i can apply visa for my wife!!!....please help me guyzzzz
Khadijah Z
February 10, 2011 at 8:40 am
unknown
October 13, 2012 at 12:47 pm
ana
October 13, 2012 at 3:26 pm
I am only familiar with United States laws. Perhaps others here could answer your question.
This is an open house. No need to knock. Just come on in.