New Family Visa Rules Spark An Application Surge As 7 Nationalities Are Left In Limbo

The Residency Affairs departments yesterday morning started receiving applications for family visas from expatriates after a hiatus of about a year and a half.

A number of them flocked to the Residency Affairs departments in all six governorates to submit the family visa applications based on the conditions that their monthly salary is not less than KD 800, and their university degree is of the same specialty as their profession.

It is worth highlighting that the Residency Affairs departments has not yet received instructions about the transactions from of individuals of the banned nationalities, namely Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, Pakistani, Iranian, Yemeni and Sudanese.

A Syrian national, who works in Kuwait Municipality and is part of the category of those excluded from the decision, explained that he went to the Residency Affairs Department in Hawally where they told him to go to the Residence Affairs Department in Dajeej. After arriving at that department and submitting the application, the employees told him to come after two days because they had not yet received any instructions regarding the banned countries.

Meanwhile, a security source revealed that the Residency Affairs departments in the six governorates and the main building in Dajeej received a number of family visa applications on the first day.

He stressed that the departments are working on these visas after completing the necessary legal procedures.

Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior Fahad Al-Yousef issued a decision to amend some provisions of the ministerial resolution No. 957/2019 in the executive regulations of the foreigners’ residence law, specifying the conditions for obtaining regular family residency permit.

The first article of the decision stated that -

Article 29 of the aforementioned ministerial resolution No. 957/2019 is amended to as follows:

“To obtain a regular residence permit to join a family for those coming from abroad, the monthly salary of the foreigner residing in the country must not be less than KD 800. The monthly salary of a foreigner is considered as the wage resulting from work in his profession on the basis for which he was granted residency in the country.

He must have university qualifications and his profession in the country should be consistent with his specialization.

A resident foreigner who works in professions stipulated in article 30 of the decision is excluded from the requirement of obtaining a university qualification.”

Regarding granting regular residency to join a family for those residing or born inside the country, and those born outside the country who are not more than five years old to parents residing in the country, the Director General of the General Department of Residency Affairs is responsible for excluding them from the salary requirement referred to in the first paragraph of this article in accordance with the controls and conditions determined by the General Department of Residency Affairs.

The second article of the decision stipulates that the undersecretary is tasked with implementing this decision, and it will come into effect from the date of its publication in the official gazette.

Last Thursday, the Ministry of Interior had announced the resumption of family visa issuance but under new controls and conditions.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, based on the instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, applications for joining a family will be received in the various Residency Affairs departments in the country according to new controls and conditions as of Sunday.

This is following the issuance of ministerial resolution No. 56/2024, which set new conditions and regulations that regulate the process of issuing entry visas to join a family. These conditions include the need for the minimum salary requirement to be KD 800, and for the applicant to hold a university qualification that is consistent with his profession.

By Munaif Nayef

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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