Kuwait Times, Sunday, Sep 26, 2021 | Safar 19, 1443
PAM allows transfer of commercial visit visas to work permits
Kuwait:
The Public Authority
for Manpower (PAM) yesterday said it will allow foreigners in the country on
commercial visit visas to transfer to work permits in the private sector
(article 18), in a bid to meet high demand for manpower by Kuwaiti companies.
Thousands of residents have not been able to return to the country or have left
the country for good due to the coronavirus pandemic.
PAM Director General Ahmad Al-Mousa said the
decision aims to meet the needs of the labor market affected by the pandemic.
“This decision is a result of cooperation between PAM and the interior ministry
and the ministerial coronavirus emergency committee, which allows those entering
the country on commercial visit visas to transfer to article 18 work visas
easily,” he said.
PAM also held meeting with the Kuwait Union of
Owners of Private Schools and Cultural Institutes. “During the meeting, we
reached a decision to modify the IT systems at both PAM and the interior
ministry. Work permits will be issued, and based on that the work visa will be
issued. This process requires the approval of the ministerial coronavirus
emergency committee. The commercial visit visa will then be transferred to an
iqama after the employee arrives in the country,” stressed Mousa.
“We discussed the transfer of teachers arriving on
commercial visit visas to work visas, especially as preparations are ongoing for
the start of the new academic year. We reviewed cooperation on this issue with
the interior ministry,” he added. “PAM exerted efforts to make the procedure
easy for all businesses in the private sector to ensure work goes on smoothly
for health, education, finance and other businesses during the pandemic,”
concluded Mousa.