Kuwait : Expatriates Visa Fees Up Again

The Ministry of Social Affairs is considering increasing all fees related to issuance of WORK permits, visa renewal and visa transfers for expatriates. Formalities are been finalized with the Fatwa and Legislation Department, and the decision can be implemented without prior approval by the National Assembly. The daily census by PACI authorities confirmed the total population in Kuwait yesterday was 4,132,195, of whom a 1,278,963 are citizens and 2,853,232 are expatriates.

Muna Al-Fuzai, editor of Kuwait Times said “it is clear that Kuwait suffers from a defect in its demographic structure, where the number of expats exceeds the number of citizens. This increase often means a large presence of MARGINALh workers that does not benefit the country’s economy. We in Kuwait have a large number of maids and house workers in general that we don’t actually need”.

She explains that the matter will never be possible to let go of professional expats such as engineers, teachers and doctors, but the problem is with those who are non-professionals.

“Indeed, it is the right of any state to determine the appropriate laws and regulations for foreign workers, but at the same time, it must develop a clear-cut EMPLOYMENT policy on the numbers of workers and experiences required”, she adds.

Al-Fuzai said that the obligation of every government is to ensure that there is no imbalance in the demographics of the country, which affects the services provided to residents, whether they are citizens or expats: “We are a small country in need of foreign workers, but we must ensure there is no prejudice against expats, bearing in mind the high COST of living in Kuwait now”.

Final advice of Al-Fuzai was to consider the fact that a potential increase in transaction fees for expats may be a trivial matter for us, but not for many of them, especially for families with children.

OIL PRICES now are unstable, and the government is trying to figure out solutions to overcome the possible deficit. Dealing with the financial situation should not necessarily be at the expense of foreigners, but through long-term national policies based on the diversification of income sources and refurbishment and looking at the causes of financial waste, either by the government or lack of awareness by individuals.