Residency Affairs summons expats for violating family visa regulations

Residency Affairs Investigations Department at the Ministry of Interior recently summoned dozens of expatriates who brought their families to Kuwait in apparent violation of the ministerial decision regulating family joining visas (Article 22).

The ministerial decision, amended in July 2024, now allows expatriates to sponsor their wives and children on family visas only if their salary is no less than KD800, regardless of academic qualifications.

The KD800 salary threshold was set based on comprehensive studies, which established that this level of income allows a head of household to adequately support a family and maintain a decent standard of living in Kuwait. The new rule applies uniformly to all expatriates, regardless of nationality or educational background, so long as they meet the salary condition specified in the ministerial resolution.

The summoned expatriates had initially met the salary requirement of KD800 by obtaining work permits with qualifying salaries. They used these permits to apply for family visas, which were then approved. However, many of these individuals later changed jobs or their working hours were reduced, which brought their actual salary below the KD800 threshold.

The authorities deemed this a circumvention of the law and issued a one-month grace period for the expatriates to either rectify their residency status by returning to jobs that fulfill the salary condition, or send their families back to their home countries. Each summoned individual was also required to sign a written pledge to comply with the legal conditions within the given timeframe.
The Interior Ministry uses the information provided by the automated digital link between government agencies to detect any manipulation or fraudulent data, including in residency permits and driving licenses issued by the General Traffic Department affiliated to the Ministry of Interior.

Revised Article 29 says foreigners may obtain family residency (Article 22) if their monthly income is not less than KD800, calculated based on the profession tied to their current residency—exceptions apply to children under 5 years old born outside Kuwait to residents; individuals already present or born inside Kuwait.

These cases may be exempted from the salary condition by the Director General of Residency Affairs.

On a related note, the General Traffic Department is said to be actively revoking driving licenses for expatriates who no longer meet the eligibility requirements they originally qualified under. For example, if an expatriate loses their job, or their salary drops below the mandated salary threshold, their license is automatically invalidated through the automated system.

Expatriates are urged to verify the status of their driving licenses via their Civil ID or the ‘Sahel’ app. The Interior Ministry warned that anyone caught driving with a revoked or invalid license will be considered as driving without a license and will face detention and referral to judicial authorities. Ignorance of the license’s invalidity will not be accepted as a legal excuse.