Foreigners in Kuwait apprehensive over rules on visa fees

Dubai, Jan 3 (UNI) Indian expatriates and other foreign residents in Kuwait have expressed apprehension over the new rules on visa fees and penalties.

Although the government said there are pre-emptive measures to stop entry of illegal migrants and to curb overstays in the country, expatriates of all nationalities feel the hike in fees is outrageous, press reports said.

The Immigration Department had announced plans to charge fees ranging from KD 25 to a maximum of KD 100 on Visit Visas and recommended KD 50, 100 and 150 for the first, second and third-month extensions of visas.

The new system was aimed to target employers who either ignored or abused the Visit Visa law, which led to large-scale joblessness among expatriates, Kuwait Times said.

Officials claimed that the new laws are meant to be a deterrent to those who enter the country on a Visit Visa to actually look for work and then go for a visa extension after landing a job.

In the last quarter of 2003, the salary ceiling for sponsoring families was decreased from KD 450 to KD 250 in an attempt to encourage families to come to the oil-rich kingdom.

UNI