How to check Kafeel Name/Iqama transfer status?

Once you have decided to change your sponsorship, you are always eager to check the Iqama transfer status and the name of your new Kafeel. It is important to mention here that the sponsorship is transferred in two phases;

• In the labor office under the Ministry of Labor and,
• Jawazat under the Ministry of Interior.

In this article, we have explained the process to check iqama transfer status and the name of your current Kafeel through the Ministry of Labor website, the Absher and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

1. Check Iqama transfer status through MOL
   • Check Iqama transfer status through MOL
   • Check Iqama transfer status in Absher
   • Check the Kafeel name on Iqama through MOFA
   • Check Iqama transfer status by Available Funds
   • Check Kafeel’s name through the Iqama
   • Check Kafeel name through the Visa
   • Ask the HR of your company

The first step to check the Iqama transfer status or the name of your Kafeel in Saudi Arabia through the labor office service inquiry is to open the mol.gov.sa website from the link given here. https://www.mol.gov.sa/Services/Inquiry/LaborOfficeServicesInquiry.aspx

There is no need to search for the English version as it has not been provided by the Ministry.

• Click on the drop-down menu and select the option نقل خدمة عامل وافد 
• As soon as you will select this labor office service inquiry, another tab will appear on the screen where you need to enter your Iqama number.
• Enter the verification code shown on your computer screen.

No Request for Iqama transfer

If the message appears while checking the iqama transfer status,

“لم يتم تقديم اي طلب نقل خدمة للعامل، علما بأن صاحب العمل الحالي هي مؤسسة/شركة”

it means that there is no request for the transfer of sponsorship in the system of the Ministry of Labor.

Make sure you click on the button we have highlighted with the blue ink while checking the name of your Kafeel, otherwise, the system will not show you the required details.

Iqama Transfer Request understudy

If the message appears while checking the iqama transfer status “تحت الدراسة”, it means that the request for the change of sponsorship has been created by your new employer but it is not yet approved by the current employer.

Keep in mind that the validity of the Iqama talab or request created by your new employer is 90 days after which it will expire. If the current sponsor does not approve it within 90 days, it will automatically be deleted from the system. In this case, the new employer will have to create a new request.

Iqama has transferred

If the message appears while checking the iqama transfer status “حالة الطلب في وزارة الداخلية: تم نقل خدمة العامل الى صاحب عمل جديد بتاريخ 1441/03/08، وفي حال عدم استلام رخصة الاقامة بعد, على صاحب العمل الجديد استلامها من الجوازات”, it means that the request for the transfer of Iqama sponsorship has been accepted and you can check the name of your new Kafeel there.

After the Iqama transfer request (talab) is approved by the current employer, the new employer has 12 days to transfer the sponsorship in the Jawazat system. After 12 days, the system will cancel the entire transaction and you will have to start from scratch.

The rules related to Iqama Talab

• The validity of the Iqama talab or the request to transfer sponsorship created by the new sponsor is 90 days.
• Once the request is accepted by the current employer, it will remain valid for 12 days.
• No other sponsor can create an Iqama Talab on your account until an Iqama request is already in place.
• The request for the transfer of sponsorship can be canceled by either;
  • The new employer who has created it or,
  • The current employer by refusing it.

1. Check Iqama transfer status in Absher

Once your sponsorship is transferred in the system of MOL, the next step is to check the iqama transfer status or the name of the new Kafeel in the Absher. Once the transfer of sponsorship is completed, the name of your current Kafeel will change in Absher. After the Naqal Kafala in the Ministry of Labor, you need to;

• Pay the fee for the transfer of sponsorship.
• In some cases, the GRO of your new employer needs to visit the Jawazat to complete the process.

You need to have an Absher account to check iqama transfer status in MOI. Once you have successfully logged in to the Absher account, you need to click on the  “Dashboard” icon to check the Iqama transfer status.

A new screen will open containing many important details related to your account. Now just look at the left side of your screen where your full name is stated along with your picture, you will find your birth date and marital status there. You need to click on the “More Details” link given under this.

A new screen will be opened containing details of your iqama number, name, birth date, birth country, marital status, nationality, religion and some other information. If you can check the name of your new Kafeel here, it means that the iqama transfer status is COMPLETE.

1. Check the Kafeel name on Iqama through MOFA

The third online way to check the iqama transfer status or the name of your current Kafeel is through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Open the following link https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/Home/Services/citizens and click on the Citizens and Residents > Resident > Family Visit Visa Application for Residents.

In the next step, you will have to enter your Iqama number and the date of expiry and the visa number. 

• It is important to mention here that the MOFA system does not accept the expiry date written on the face of the Iqama and therefore, you need to check the Iqama expiry date online through the Absher system to fill the form.

In the next step, the system will automatically fetch some details out of which you can check the name of your current Kafeel on the Iqama. If you find out that the name appearing here is the name of the new sponsor, it means that your Iqama transfer status has completed.

1. Check Iqama transfer status by Available Funds

Sometimes, it takes a longer time to update the name of the new sponsor on the page referred to above. In that case, there is another way to check the Iqama transfer status and it is by checking the available funds under Iqama.

• As soon as you pay the fee for the transfer of sponsorship, it will be reflected under the available funds in “Passport Deposit”.
• Once the transfer of sponsorship is completed in the system of Jawazat, the amount will be reduced to “Zero” which is a confirmation that the status of your Iqama sponsorship transfer is complete now.

1. Check Kafeel’s name through the Iqama

The iqama issued to you by the Ministry of Interior contains some important information which you should know and one of them is the Kafeel or sponsor name. If you see your Iqama, you can check the name of your Kafeel there written in the Arabic language. In the case of the transfer of sponsorship, the name of the employer is changed on the card.

1. Check Kafeel name through the Visa

Another way to check the name of the Kafeel which will be printed on your Iqama is to have a look at the visa page stamped on your passport. No matter if your sponsor is an individual, moassasa or a company, the name will be written on your visa.

However, it is important to mention here that if you have changed your sponsorship after entering Saudi Arabia, you cannot use this method to check the name of your Kafeel. You will have to check it online following the methods explained below.

1. Ask the HR of your company

If you are working in a company and need the full name of your Kafeel and you cannot check it from any other source, the easiest way is to call the HR of your company and get it done.

Why do people check the Kafeel name on Iqama?

There are several reasons people want to check the name of their Kafeel on the Iqama and we have highlighted some of them below;

• Someone has come to Saudi Arabia for the first time and doesn’t know about his sponsor.
• The transfer of sponsorship is under and the guy wants to check the status of Iqama transfer.
• You are filling an electronic form where the information related to your sponsor is required.
• You have surrendered your iqama to issue the first iqama and it is still not processed.