The last many months have been a harrowing experience for many people in their ‘sixties’ due to the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) denying work permits to anyone aged 60 and over if they do not hold a graduate degree or diploma.
The PAM rule was later reportedly amended, so that the work permit became available only if the concerned expatriate was willing to pay an exorbitant fee of KD2,000 per year. In addition, the ‘aged’ expatriate also needed to arrange private medical insurance coverage for the duration of their stay in Kuwait.
Though the rule was recently struck down by the Cabinet’s Fatwa and Legislation department, this came too late for many expats who had to leave the country, and the fickleness of rules and uncertainty about who can impose them at their will provides little reassurance to expats on the ‘stability of their stay’ in Kuwait.
In the meantime, neighboring United Arab Emirates last week approved a new retirement visa scheme, under which expatriates can opt to stay on in the Emirates after they retire. The scheme, approved in a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is said to be in line with UAE’s efforts to achieve even more flexibility in terms of laws and visa requirements.
However, as with many other things in UAE, the proposition remains open to only those who can afford it. As per the new scheme, retirees fulfilling one of the following criteria will be eligible for retirement residency:
- Property worth Dh1 million, as evaluated by a relevant entity in each Emirate
- A bank deposit of no less than Dh1 million
- Or, an active income of no less than Dh180,000 per annum.
Announcing the new visa scheme, His Highness the Prime Minister said on his Twitter handle: “We welcome everyone to our country.”