Saudi schools to allow expat students with expired visas

Saudi Arabian authorities have issued notice to schools that expatriate students cannot be barred from sitting for examinations and their certificates cannot be blocked on the ground that their iqamas - residency permits for expatriate in Saudi Arabia - have expired.

The country's ministry of education has issued this directive in the wake of increasing number of complaints from expatriate parents that their children have been barred from continuing education in the middle of the academic year, the Saudi Gazette reported Wednesday.

The school authorities should inform parents in writing that iqamas should be renewed to continue their children's education.

The ministry also said that schools should accept students whose iqamas are under the process of renewal.

The schools should consider the delay in the renewal of iqama as it is purely out of the control of the iqama holder due to factors such as a dispute between the employer and the employee.

When parents face problems with iqamas, they should write to the school authorities mentioning the problems.

There are around 2.8 million expatriate Indians in Saudi Arabia.