KUWAIT: An interior ministry committee is reviewing fees for visit visas with the aim of applying reciprocal treatment with foreign countries and also allowing expats to bring in their relatives for longer periods, the head of the residency and nationality department said. In the new residency law, recently issued in an Amiri decree, fees on all services offered by the ministry can be changed by the minister, unlike previously when the law needed to be amended to change fees, Assistant Undersecretary for Residency and Nationality Maj Gen Ali Al-Adwani said in an interview on the 60 Minutes program broadcast on the Kuwait TV news channel.
He said Kuwait only charges a KD 3 fee for visit visas, which is a small amount, while some foreign countries charge KD 70 and more. He said that the committee is reviewing fees imposed on Kuwaiti nationals when they visit other countries in order to achieve reciprocal treatment. In addition, family visits in the new law are for three months instead of one month, and this service will be provided to expat sponsors against higher fees, said Al-Adwani, adding that the committee is still studying the issue. He said that due to the strict application of the law, Kuwait has no visit visa violators.
Kuwaiti women can sponsor their children for a 10-year residency which can be renewed, he said. Children of Kuwaiti women are exempted from all residency fees and can also stay outside Kuwait longer than the six-month deadline for other expats, provided the women are not naturalized citizens, he said.
The new foreign residency law, which comprises 36 articles divided into seven chapters, will be implemented within six months of its publication in the official gazette. The law introduces a maximum residency period of five years for expats, along with incentives for investors, such as a 10-year residency for real estate owners and a 15-year residency for foreign investors to encourage investment.
The law imposes severe penalties for violations related to residency trading, such as recruiting foreigners under false pretenses, employing them without proper licenses or withholding their dues without justification. Companies involved in such practices face license revocation and fines ranging from KD 5,000 to KD 10,000, with penalties doubling for repeat offenses or violations by public employees.
Al-Adwani emphasized that the new law criminalizes residency trading, prohibiting practices such as employing foreigners for purposes other than those stated in their permits or allowing them to work without authorization. Shelter or employment of individuals without valid residency is also prohibited. Companies proven to exploit foreign workers face imprisonment of three to five years and fines calculated based on the number of violating workers.
Additionally, individuals offering bribes to secure work permits will be punished with imprisonment of up to one year and fines of up to KD 1,000. The minister of interior retains the authority to deport any foreigner, even with valid residency, if they lack a legitimate income source, violate regulations or if their deportation serves the public interest, security or morals.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Commission for Nationality decided on Thursday to revoke the citizenship of 3,043 Kuwaitis, a majority of them expat women married to Kuwaitis, raising the total number of Kuwaitis who have lost citizenship to well over 12,000. The commission, which met under Deputy PM and Interior and Defense Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, said 2,863 of them were women who obtained citizenship because of marriage to Kuwaiti men.
Another 180 had their citizenship revoked because of forgery and cheating, a statement by the interior ministry said. Since Dec 5, the commission has recommended revoking the citizenship of 5,205 Kuwaitis, the overwhelming majority of them women.
Although the drive began in May, the pace accelerated rapidly since late August when the commission began meeting weekly and increased the numbers. Sheikh Fahad also reiterated that all women who were stripped of their citizenship will continue to keep their jobs with the same salary and benefits. The same applies to retired women who will continue to receive pensions if they continue to live in Kuwait.