Kuwait

Kuwait panel discusses amendments to residency laws for foreigners

A Kuwaiti government committee yesterday discussed sweeping amendments to the 1959 residency law for foreigners, which calls to grant foreign investors a residence permit for up to 15 years.

The amendments allow Kuwaiti women to sponsor their foreign spouses and children, provided the woman is not a naturalized citizen. Foreign women who are divorced or widows of Kuwaiti husbands have the right to obtain residency, provided they have children.

Expats who are on a visit visa should leave after three months, unless the visa has been renewed, but not for more than a year. Expats can obtain a residence permit for up to five years, while children of Kuwaiti women and owners of real estate can get a residence permit of up to 10 years. Both can be renewed for a similar duration.

Foreign investors can get a residence permit for up to 15 years with guidelines and conditions to be set by the Council of Ministers, according to the amendments. Legal expat residents, with the exception of children of Kuwaiti women, owners of real estate and investors, cannot stay outside the country for more than six months otherwise it will be automatically cancelled. Domestic workers’ duration of stay abroad is only four months.

Expats who resign or are sacked from government jobs can seek work with others, provided their former employers agree.

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Kuwait Times
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