Article 4 of the Saudi Rules on Expatriate Violators

Article 4 addresses the responsibility of the person who brought in a visitor, such as someone who brings in a relative on a visit visa. It places a duty and a ruling on him:

• The duty: To report to the competent authority if the visitor overstays or is absent from departure after the period set for his stay ends, and the report is made directly after that period ends.
• The ruling: If the sponsor does not report, that is considered concealment by him of the visitor.

The importance of this ruling is that the sponsor is not viewed as a neutral party; by his silence he becomes a concealer. The text makes the end of the stay period the time for reporting, since the report is made directly after it.

This duty resembles what Article 3 requires of companies and establishments providing services to pilgrims and Umrah performers, to report to the competent authority any pilgrim or Umrah performer who overstays after the end of his stay. It is matched on the labor side by Article 5, which requires companies, establishments and individuals to report their workers' absence to the competent authorities within five days of the date of absence. Anyone who brought in a visitor who overstayed and is wondering about his position may consult a specialist lawyer in residency laws and administrative cases.