Kuwait Times, Monday, Nov 21, 2022 | Rabi Al Thani 26, 1444
Kuwait to issue dependent visas for children under 5
Kuwait:
The interior ministry is scheduled to start
looking from Monday into applications for family visas for children under five,
provided that both parents have valid residency permits in the country. Several
months ago, Kuwait slapped a total ban on visas for expats until it had reviewed
all the procedures. Authorities only allowed the issuance of commercial visas to
facilitate business for local companies. The new move will be the first step to
ease restrictions on the issuance of visas.
Under the new directive, the immigration department will look into applications
by expat couples who want to bring their children under five to live with them
in the country. The new decision stipulates that the parents of such children
must have legal residency permits in the country and draw a monthly salary of at
least KD 500. Parents of children under one year of age will be exempted from
the salary condition. Those categories of professionals who are already exempted
from the salary condition, like doctors, engineers, judges and others, will also
be exempted.
Meanwhile, five MPs on Monday submitted a draft law proposing penalties for
people who dress or look like the opposite sex. The bill, filed by five Islamist
MPs, stipulates a jail term of up to one year and a fine of KD 1,000 for men and
women who appear or behave like the opposite sex. The penalty is doubled in case
of repetition. The bill also states that people connected to the violators, like
teachers, trainers, managers, etc who do not inform authorities about them will
receive the same sentence. Islamist MPs, who bagged close to 15 seats in the
50-member National Assembly, have vowed to focus on morality issues.