The General Director of the Public Authority for Manpower, Ahmed Al-Mousa, announced via circular to labor departments in the employment affairs sector to allow renewals of work permit to those who reached the age of 59 and 60 for only one year until the ban comes into play from 1st January 2021.
According to the circular, when a work permit is issued or renewed, the age of the expat should be checked that they do not exceed the age of sixty, in compliance with the provisions of the aforementioned Resolution No. 520/2020 amending Administrative Resolution 552 of 2018 regarding the issuance of work permits under a list of procedures for granting work permission and its amendments.
In a recent decision, PAM halted the renewal of work visas for expats who are 60 and above as well as only have a high school diploma and lower in addition they will be unable to transfer their residency visa. They will be obliged to leave Kuwait when the decision will come into effect in 2021.
According to official data there are more than 83,000 expats who are above 60 years with secondary qualifications and below.
A number of expatriates expressed their fears that this decision would lead to separation of their families, and many expressed concerns that this decision will force their parents to leave the country, without taking into account the status of their young children who were linked to their residency sponsorship.
A number of expatriates stated that this decision will impact the social, cultural and security aspects of the expat community in Kuwait, as many believe that with the departure of elderly parents, only bachelors will remain. The presence of the elderly has a significant social role to play among the family.
This decision comes within the government’s vision to address the demographic imbalance and its impact on the labor market.
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