Deportation of sponsor, sponsored for visit visa violations
Last week the ministry of interior reportedly deported several expatriates including a Jordanian and his family for violating family visit visa regulations. The ministry stressed that violations of visit visa regulations will be dealt with severely, with both the sponsor of the visit visa, and the person or family members being sponsored to face deportation for visa regulation violations.
Visit visas are granted for specific periods, any overstay in the country is considered a violation of visa regulations. Moreover, vVisit visa applicants sign undertakings that the visitor they sponsor will not attempt to convert their visa to a work visa or a family residency visa under Article 22.
A statement from the Ministry of Interior said, “In line with the instructions and directives of First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, we aim to facilitate procedures related to visits while adhering to the conditions and controls. Key requirements include not violating the visa validity period and not exceeding the specified duration of stay according to the type of visit.”
The General Department of Residence Affairs Investigations’ Department of Violators Follow-up, has continuously monitored and arrested several visa violators and their sponsors. One case involved a Jordanian resident who brought his wife and children under a family visit visa. They disappeared after the legal visit period ended and remained in the country.
Subsequently they were apprehended and appropriate legal measures were taken against them prior to their deportation from the country. This action is due to the sponsor’s failure to adhere to the pledge he signed when requesting the family visit visa and violating the conditions. Despite his valid work residency, the deportation included the husband, wife, and children.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed that it will continue to enforce all necessary legal measures against those who do not comply with the law and will make every effort to arrest and hold accountable both “the sponsor and the sponsored.” All visitors must adhere to the specified time limit of their visit and depart upon its expiration to avoid legal consequences.
Last February, the Ministry of Interior outlined new controls for receiving visit visa applications for family, commercial, and tourist purposes). A family visit visa is granted to the father, mother, wife, and children, with the requirement that the breadwinner’s salary is not less than 400 dinars. For other relatives, the salary requirement is at least 800 dinars. Additionally, a round-trip ticket on a national airline is required, along with a written pledge not to request a conversion of these visits into residency. Visitors must also agree to adhere to the visit duration and receive any medical treatment only in private hospitals and health centers, not in government hospitals.
The commercial visit visa is issued based on a request from a Kuwaiti company or institution and is granted to individuals with university or technical qualifications relevant to the company’s activities and work.
The tourist visit entry visa is available to citizens from 53 countries and can be obtained either directly at the port of entry upon arrival or through an electronic visa via the Ministry of Interior website at www.moi.gov.kw.
For residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, tourist entry visas are issued to individuals with professions specified in Ministerial Resolution No. 2030/2008 and its amendments.
These visas are granted according to the controls and requirements outlined in the resolution and can be processed through hotels and companies with automatic connections to the General Administration of Residency Affairs system, following the established requirements.
