KUWAIT CITY, Jan 27: A senior Kuwait immigration official on Wednesday denied a report published by an Arabic daily that visit visas can be changed to work permits or any other residence.
Earlier, Al-Rai daily said that it had been told by a source that all the immigration departments in the country will start from next Sunday receiving applications from visitors who want to change their visit visas to residence visas after obtaining work permits without having to leave the country. It had added that all such transfers would be subject to clearance of the State Security.


“The Kuwait Immigration Law has not changed as many have claimed. All issues related to visa requirements and permits are exactly the same as before,” the official told the Arab Times.
Currently, only infants and people on business visas are allowed to transfer their visit visas to residence without having to leave the country. There is, however, a restriction on the people on business visas - they can only transfer to the companies which sponsor their visit.
The official stressed that people coming to the country on visit visas do not require a Police Clearance Certificate from their country of origin. He added that the requirement of such certificates for people coming on Article 18 (work permit), Article 19 (owners business), Article 20 (domestics) and Article 22 (dependents) had not changed and they would not be allowed into the country without these certificates being produced.
“Visit visas and entry permits are valid for entry within 90 days of issue. As for sponsorship, visitors to Kuwait have to be sponsored by a citizen in Kuwait or a company, or a resident foreigner who is a relative of the visitor,” he added.
“To obtain a visit visa for a relative, a resident foreigner will need to produce along with the completed visa application, a security form completed by the sponsor, copy of visitor’s passport, original and copy of sponsor’s passport, original and copy of sponsor’s civil ID, original and copy of sponsor’s work permit (in case of private sector employees), salary certificate from sponsor’s employer, and authentic proof of family relationship. However, a police clearance certificate is now needed for a visit visa.”
“ A visitor holding a visit visa in Kuwait cannot take up employment, as he or she should have a work permit and a residence visa.”
“For businessmen the residence visa is necessary, if during a visit to Kuwait, the visitor intend to carry our business or commercial activities. Business visas are not issued to visitors who are paid salaries for the work done for an entity in Kuwait. For such purpose, visitors will have to obtain a work visa.”
“To obtain a visit visa for a business, a visitor will have to produce visa application form completed, along with security form by sponsor, copy of visitor’s passport, copy of sponsor’s signature as registered for business purposes, copy of the letter of invitation from sponsor to business visitor mentioning the purpose of visit.”


“Work visas and residence permits are granted under immigration regulations. Only after an employment offer is accepted, the residence visa can be obtained. The employer seeks work permit from Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour by producing a copy of employee’s passport. A No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the General Administration of Criminal Investigation at the Ministry of Interior will have to be obtained by submitting employee’s personal details. The employee should then seek an entry visa for Kuwait, using  the endorsed work permit and producing other necessary documents such as medical certificate, good conduct certificate, etc.
If an employee is on a visit visa to Kuwait when he accepts employment, then once the work permit and the NOC are ready he must leave Kuwait and return on the entry visa the sponsor obtains for him.” - Arab Times