Kuwait Waives Permit Fees for Migrants Over 60 Without Degrees and Eases Job Transfers
Kuwait recently issued a decision to revoke Article 1 of the Public Authority for Manpower Decision No. 294 of 2023, which required migrants aged over 60 and without a university degree to pay an additional annual fee of KD 250 (US$810) and obtain private health insurance.
Under the new Ministerial Resolution No. 12 of 2024, only the standard fees for issuing work permits will be required, eliminating any additional charges.
In August 2020, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) issued Administrative Decision No. 520 of 2020, which prohibited issuing or renewing work permits for migrants aged 60 and above with only a high school diploma or lower qualifications. The decision faced significant backlash from various segments of Kuwaiti society, prompting PAM to revise its stance in July 2021, allowing visa renewals for this group in exchange for an annual fee of KD 2,000 (US$2500).
The steep fees sparked further criticism, leading PAM to reduce the cost to KD 500 in November 2021. Finally, in January 2022, PAM set the annual permit fee at KD 250 and a mandatory private health insurance requirement costing approximately KD 500.
The new decision also revised Article 14 of Ministerial Resolution No. 9 of 2016, which governs employment regulations for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Under the updated rules, workers hired by SMEs can transfer within the same sector with their employer’s approval after completing one year from the issuance of their work permit. Additionally, these workers can transfer to another SME owned by the same employer within the same sector without a waiting period. However, a fee of KD 300 is required for transfers made before the one-year period.
The new decision also permits workers employed in the government contract sector and registered under the employer’s primary record to be transferred to work outside this sector. Additionally, companies in sectors classified as “distinguished,” which had restrictions on hiring and transferring workers, are now allowed to hire from abroad and transfer their workers outside these sectors.
Kuwaiti authorities have presented the recent reforms as both a ‘humanitarian policy’ and a means to enhance labour market flexibility. While authorities emphasise the protection of migrant rights, Kuwait continues its ongoing arrest and deportation campaign. On 21 October, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry announced that it had detained and deported 21,190 migrants in irregular situations since the start of 2024.
Many migrants targeted in these campaigns have fallen into an irregular status due to poor working conditions and wage theft, and challenges in changing employers. Even with the new decision, Kuwait has one of the most restrictive policies on changing employers in the Gulf region.
