The Kuwait Cabinet approved a new foreign residency draft law to regulate the stay of expatriates in the country. The new residency law will be sent to the National Assembly for debate and approval soon.
Below are the major focus on the new law:
The draft law stipulates a jail term of three years and a fine between KD 5,000 and KD 10,000 for visa traders who facilitate the entry, renew residencies and employ expats illegally for fees. The fine will be charged for every illegal expat, while the punishment will be doubled in case the violator is a civil servant or if it is repeated within five years.
One-year jail term and a fine of KD 1,000 for any expat workers who pay money to get a work permit or renew their residencies.
Two-year jail term and a fine between KD 5,000 and KD 10,000 for employers who fail to pay wages to expat employees. The same penalty applies for working illegally with other employers.
Employers must inform authorities if their expat employees leave them or if their residency is cancelled and they do not leave the country. Violators will be fined between KD 600 and KD 2,000.
10-year residency to foreign investors, foreigners who own real estate, foreign women divorced from their Kuwaiti husbands and have children, in addition to the husbands and children of Kuwaiti women.
Set up a special fund for expats to be financed by special fees on a variety of transactions, paid by either the employer or the employee. This fund will be used to cover airfare for deported expats and their unpaid wages following a final court judgment when the employer refuses or delays payment, and blood money for expat workers who die or sustain any disability during or because of their work duties. - KD 5 social fee will be collected from workers on issuing or transferring their residency visas and on obtaining a driving license or car registration, a KD 3 fee for annual renewal of the above and on flight tickets issued in Kuwait, a KD 1 fee for electricity receipts, first-time issuance and renewal of civil IDs.. etc
Employers in the private and oil sectors will be committed to paying health insurance for each employee on arrival and prior to getting residency visas.
The new residency draft law will be sent to the National Assembly for debate and approval soon.