KUWAIT: The Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) has reaffirmed its commitment to recruiting specialized labor with fitting academic qualifications, following the adoption of the Gulf Cooperation Council guide for classifying professions in all sectors. Specialized technical workers will not be hired from abroad unless their academic qualifications match the requirements of the professions they are being recruited for. This measure is aimed at ensuring optimal productivity and efficiency at work.

PAM specified that the transfer of specialized workers will only be allowed within the same company for which the commercial visit was initially issued. Additionally, workers seeking a transfer must provide their criminal record status, a copy of their entry visa, and meet the specific requirements of the profession to which they are transferring.

It is important to note that the process of converting a commercial visit into a work residence permit in the private sector (article 18) will be considered as a new permit issuance rather than an internal transfer. As a result, the number of expatriate workers needed by the company seeking to transfer the worker will be adjusted accordingly. Importantly, all procedures with the authority can be completed through an automated service, eliminating the need for the personal presence of the employer.

The authority also mentions that certain procedures involving other government agencies need to be reviewed, particularly when opening a new file for stakeholders who are not yet in their database. The automation system has been successful in eliminating residency trade by reducing human intervention and recording all procedures systematically. “The authority’s leadership and officials are committed to expanding the use of automation and transitioning all procedures from paper to digital format. This has been achieved through close cooperation with other relevant government agencies, including the ministries of health, interior, commerce and justice, as well as the Public Authority for Civil Information and other organizations,” PAM added.

Furthermore, PAM has begun issuing permits for recruiting expatriate workers from abroad in accordance with the standard procedures for issuing entry visas and work permits. All companies wishing to obtain permits for hiring expatriate workers must submit applications through the automated service Sahel. This process involves six steps leading to the payment of the required fees via the official website of the ministry of interior and the subsequent issuance of the visa from the labor department.