Kuwait imposes strict family visa rules for expatriates
-
Roshan Amiri
- . May 27, 2025
- . Update: May 27, 2025 4:58 pm
Recently, Kuwait established a strict enforcement campaign against expatriates whose incomes have fallen below the salary limits to sponsor relatives under the criteria mandated by their Article 22 residency visas. It appears that the Residence Affairs Investigations Department has summoned many expatriates and gave them a month to either legalize their status or return their families home from Kuwait.
The reason these security measures are being implemented stems principally from the fact that many expatriates who held family visas originally qualified by earning the minimum salary of KD 800 but have changed jobs or received a reduction in income which prevents them from meeting the requirement and violates residency laws According to the new ministerial decision that mandates expatriates applying for family visas must earn KD 800 a month and hold a university degree in addition to working in a field that corresponds to their educational qualifications, it was initially required that a relative earn KD 800 a month. To address public concern, Kuwaiti officials later amended the regulation when non-degree holders were able to apply to sponsor their families as long as they met the salary criteria.
- Expats are to earn increased amounts of at least KD 800/month to qualify to sponsor family members.
- Those with decreasing income risk canceling dependents’ visas or statuses.
- They had 1 month to change their status or send their family home.
- Authorities are deploying mass automated programs to detect violations.
