KUWAIT: Kuwait is allowing Syrians in the country to issue dependency visas of their wives and children in a bid to help end their suffering. The decision is expected to help hundreds of families in which sponsors brought their wives and children to Kuwait on visit visas but faced a dilemma when they could not transfer their visas into dependent visas or send them back to their war-torn country. As per the new instructions, Syrian sponsors in this case will be allowed to transfer their families' visas provided that they meet the conditions required for sponsoring their family members.

Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Nationality and Passport Maj Gen Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah said Kuwait spares no effort in helping expatriates out of the humanitarian role Kuwait is carrying out in international arenas. He said that in order to reunite Syrian families living in Kuwait, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah gave instructions to authorities to correct the status of violators by granting the male sponsor's wife and children article 22 residency permits, provided they meet the following conditions: The sponsor must meet the required conditions as far as salary and no security restrictions. Meanwhile, the children should not exceed 20 years of age while residency is granted for one year only. He said this applies to those who enter the country before October 22, 2017.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun