Manama, February 03: A Kuwaiti social affairs and labour ministry official has denied media reports claiming that visit visas can be turned into work permits.
“There is no truth to the reports that family visit or tourism visas can be changed to residence permits,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying by Al Siyassah daily on Tuesday.
“Such a possibility is confined to business visits provided that the visa holder has an advanced qualification. The condition is to ensure strict limits on the number of unskilled and marginal labourers in the country”
A Kuwaiti daily last week, quoting immigration sources, said that Kuwait would start applying the new visa-swapping measures on Sunday.
According to the report, immigration officers were getting ready to implement the new policy allowing visitors to change their visas to residence visas. The only condition for the transfer, according to the report, was clearance from security officers.
However, Arab Times, quoting immigration officials, on Tuesday said that the “the Kuwait Immigration Law has not changed as many have claimed.”
“All issues related to visa requirements and permits are exactly the same as before. Currently, only infants and people on business visas are allowed to transfer their visit visas to residence visas without having to leave the country. However, people on business visas can transfer only to the companies that sponsor their visit,” the paper said.
Work visas and residence permits in Kuwait are granted under immigration regulations.
A foreigner on a visit visa planning to take up a job must leave Kuwait and return on an entry visa secured by the sponsor.
——-Agencies