Cairo: Kuwaiti authorities are unlikely to resume issuance of family visit visas, halted last month, before setting strict rules to ensure visitors will leave upon the expiry of their visas, a local newspaper reported, citing a security source.
“The family visit visas have been completely stopped by the residency affairs departments after around 20,000 expatriates came to the country on visit visas and did not leave after the end of their visit durations,” the source was quoted by Al Anba as saying.
The source said it is not clear yet when reissuance of such visas will resume.
“Reopening visits is in the hands of the first deputy prime minister and the interior minister,” the source added.
“A related study includes strict rules that would prompt the expat, who brings in his family or relatives to ensure they will leave the country in time once the validity of their visit visas expire,” the source said without elaborating.
According to the same source, business visasto enter Kuwait continue to be issued.
Last month, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry announced stopping issuing visit visas until further notice to devise a new mechanism.
Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.6 million.
In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners’ employment along accusations that migrant workers have strained the country’s infrastructure facilities amid economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
