Kuwait’s new visa rules allow government workers to move to the private sector

The Kuwaiti government has introduced new visa regulations allowing private sector workers to transfer visas to the private sector.

The latest changes, which will come into effect on July 14, were announced by the Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Interior Sheikh Fahad Al Yousuf Al Sabah and are part of efforts to improve worker mobility, reports VisaGuide.World.

According to a report by Gulf News, domestic workers will be able to transfer their visas from July 14, under certain conditions, including:

• Have the consent of your current employer
• Having a minimum period of residence with the current employer of one year
• Paying a transfer fee of 50 dinars, approximately Dh600
• For each year of work with the current employer, a fee of 10 dinars is charged

Recently, Kuwaiti authorities announced a three-month amnesty period, which ended in June of this year. Under the amnesty program, expats who were staying in Kuwait irregularly could rectify their status by paying fines or obtaining a new residence permit. Another option was to leave the country without fines.

According to a report by Times of India, Kuwaiti authorities have taken tough action against illegal housing construction after 50 people died in a massive fire at a building which was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Due to a massive building fire, several foreigners were evicted from their homes in Kuwait.

An Arab Times report revealed that several expat bachelors from Bneid Al-Gar were evicted and left on the streets after authorities enforced building code violations. The same source revealed that officials cut off electricity and water supplies to three buildings.

New visa and transfer system announced by Kuwait in May

In May this year, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) in Kuwait announced the introduction of a new work visa and transfer system for private sector employees, which is set to come into effect from early June 2024.

At that time, PAM announced that the new plan was a consequence of the issuance of Resolution No. 3 of 2024, which introduces significant changes to the labor market.

With Resolution No. 3 of 2024, the Kuwaiti authorities intend to address labor shortages in industries such as construction and contracting, where wages have increased significantly.

By allowing direct recruitment from abroad, the government aims to remove residency and trade requirements and provide businesses with the workforce they need without raising labour costs.