Kuwait Sees Around 30,000 Requests for Domestic-to-Private Sector Visa Transfers

Following the decision made in July allowing domestic workers (Article 20) to transfer to the private sector (Article 18), the General Administration of Residency Affairs has received approximately 30,000 transfer requests.

From July 14 to mid-August, around 10,000 of these requests have been processed, with the remaining applications currently under review.

This decision provides domestic workers with an opportunity to improve their financial circumstances by moving to the private sector.

It also helps address the severe labour shortages impacting companies, institutions, and particularly the construction sector, which has been significantly affected by the recent deportation of approximately 80,000 violators.

Sources indicate that Residency Affairs is working closely with the Public Authority for Manpower to expedite the transfer process between the two sectors before the September 12 deadline.

These measures are anticipated to revitalise the labour market, especially in the construction sector, which is seeing growth due to the development of new residential areas.

Additionally, they aim to address the issue of “bachelors” living in private residential zones, which has been a concern.

70,000 Visit Visas Issued

In a separate development, sources have revealed that Residency Affairs has issued around 70,000 visit visas, including commercial, tourist and family visas, over the past six months.

The administration is reportedly making substantial efforts to issue these visas in accordance with the specified terms and conditions, following the directives of First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, who has stressed the importance of reuniting residents with their families for humanitarian reasons.

Sources also mentioned that approximately 12,000 “dependents/family” visas have been issued to eligible applicants for their spouses and children under 15 years of age, with about 20,000 additional applications still under review.

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