Cairo: Kuwaiti labour authorities have halted transfer of commercial visit visas to work permits, as part of efforts to head off a new wave of COVID-19, a Kuwaiti newspaper has reported.
The move partially reverses a decision issued by the Kuwaiti Cabinet last month resuming the issuance of all types of entry visas to the country.
Starting from Tuesday, the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) stopped issuing work permits for foreigners arriving in the country on commercial visit visas, Al Rai reported.
The step comes upon a recommendation from a ministerial committee in charge of tackling COVID-19 as part of a series of precautionary measures against a new wave of Coronavirus unfolding in the region and many European countries, the paper said, citing what it described as well-informed sources.
The sources said that related transactions earlier applied to PAM via its website will be completed.
Kuwait, a country of 4.6 million people mostly migrant workers, has suffered a shortage of workers in several professions due to suspension of recruitment from abroad prompted by related-virus restrictions.
