The residency visa violators who overstayed without valid visas from 2nd January to 29th February will not be deported due to the suspension of government departments taken as a precautionary measure to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, reports a local daily. The daily reports quoting security source stated that “For humanitarian reasons and to amend the status of approximately 15,000 people whose residency visa expired or were on a tourist or commercial visit to Kuwait, the MoI had earlier opted for deportation but it was decided to allow them to amend their status and grant them temporary residency until August 31st.”
Under the new decision, frequent visitors can travel normally without being deported as he/she can enter the country whenever he/she wishes, the decision will come into force next week. The Ministry of the Interior also stressed that it is not permissible for the status of violators who over stayed prior to 1st of Jan to be amended, hence it is necessary for them to leave the country voluntarily or be deported without allowing them to amend their legal status except for those who have first degree relations like husband, wife and children of Kuwait citizens and also their domestic workers.
Within the framework to amend the demographics, the General Administration of Residence Affairs directed the provincial administrations to stamp residency for only one year for workers in the government sector “Article 17”, and servants “Article 20”, family “Article 22” and students with scholarships “Article 23″, Self sponsorship “Article 24”, while “Article 18” for workers in the private sector is connected to the period of their work permits.