Around 405,000 expatriates have taken advantage of the grace period granted to renew their residencies, which was extended until the end of this month, but there are about 190,000 expats who unfortunately failed to amend their legal status and did not take the initiative to renew their residency despite given the opportunity to do so, Al Rai daily reported.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) decided not to grant a further extension period after November 30 to allow illegal expatriates, and visitors to fix their residencies.
The Ministry urged the residency visa violators to quickly adjust their residency visas (of all kinds) or to leave those who entered the country under entry or visit visas (of all kinds), to avoid legal accountability.
MoI warned that legal procedures will be started against violators for deportation after the ministerial deadline expires on 30 November, and they will not be allowed to return to the country.
Al- Rai daily said, quoting informed sources that previous grace extension decisions were granted due to the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, where work at most state ministries was suspended.
The daily reported that the second category (those who entered with a visit visa) was estimated to be about 100,000, but it decreased to 5,000, and all of them must leave the country before the end of this month. MoI warns that whoever is in violation of the law, the person will be blacklisted, and will not be able to enter the country again. In addition, the company or the sponsor will also be charged the fees for fines that will be accrued on him.
Expats with residency permits that expired from March until end of August 2020 are only permitted to benefit from the November 30 deadline.
The sources said to the daily that the grace visa extension decision does not include those whose residency has expired since the beginning of September until now, and regarding the absence permits for residents abroad, it will continue until the end of this year, unless any new decision is issued in this regard.
It was reported in September that expats whose residency permits had expired on or after September 1, 2020, will have to pay the usual fine of KD 2 per day to renew their visas, as the visa extension deadline granted till Nov 30, 2020, is not applicable to them under instructions from the concerned authority. The Ministry of Interior allowed a grace extension period for visa renewals to be extended till Nov 30, 2020.
If an expat’s residency permit has expired from the beginning of September, they will have to pay a two dinar fine for each day they are staying in the country illegally, unless they renew their visas at the Residence Affairs Department. There is no valid reason for those with expired residency permit after Sept 1, 2020 to fail to renew their visa especially as the Residence Affairs Departments began processing applications from the end of June 2020.
Expats whose residency permits and visit visas expired before the end of August received an automatic extension until the end of November 2020. There is no possibility for giving visitors and residency visa law violators a new deadline after the current deadline expires at the end of November 30.
Meanwhile, those expats stranded outside the country as they are in countries on the 34 country ban list will be allowed to remain outside the country for an additional period of 6 months given the circumstances, provided they hold a valid residence permit or their residence permit has been renewed online by their sponsor.