The General Administration of Residence Affairs at the Ministry of Interior initiated the acceptance of applications for family visas, adhering to the guidelines outlined by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defense, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef. The Residency Affairs departments in the six governorates processed 1,800 transactions on the first day of implementing the decision. Among these, 1,165 transactions did not meet the stipulated conditions, and applicants were instructed to complete the necessary procedures.

The source emphasized the decision’s clarity, permitting expats to have university degrees and earn a salary of at least 800 dinars, working in the same field as their university degree, to bring only their spouses and children under the age of 14. Notably, the decision does not allow for the sponsorship of parents and siblings, and there are no exceptions to this rule.

To comply with the decision, the university degree certificate must be certified by the Kuwait embassy in the applicant’s home country and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, marriage contracts and birth certificates of children must be attested. The exception for the 14 specified categories is tied to the salary requirement, not the university specialization.

The decision was prompted by numerous employees from the Ministries of Health, Justice, and Education resigning due to their families not residing with them in the country. After a thorough study, the Ministry of Interior deemed this decision as one of the most beneficial for residency sector affairs. The source clarified that Residency Affairs had not opened family visit visas, family visit visas are still restricted. A separate decision will be issued to regulate the mechanism for family visits. However, commercial visits will continue to be permitted, subject to the existing conditions and controls in the Residency Affairs sector.