KUWAIT: Kuwait has lifted a five-month ban on transferring commercial visit visas to work permits yesterday. The move was taken to regulate the influx of unskilled laborers into the country, thereby maintaining demographic balance.
According to a Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) official, expatriates that are academically qualified can now secure work permits, while those without qualifications are only allowed to apply for jobs in which there is a skill shortage, known as 'rare fields.' The eligibility to obtain work permit (unqualified workers) will be subject to approval from a labor department's special committee, said a source. Meanwhile, the official added that more regulations will be imposed "to ensure that human trafficking is eliminated." These will "guarantee that expatriates are only hired in places that desperately require their services."
The visa transfer ban was to be lifted on January 1, 2012, but was postponed until after the elections were held on Thursday.
© Kuwait Times 2012
