By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The interior ministry is scheduled to start looking from Monday into applications for family visas for children under five, provided that both parents have valid residency permits in the country. Several months ago, Kuwait slapped a total ban on visas for expats until it had reviewed all the procedures. Authorities only allowed the issuance of commercial visas to facilitate business for local companies. The new move will be the first step to ease restrictions on the issuance of visas.

Under the new directive, the immigration department will look into applications by expat couples who want to bring their children under five to live with them in the country. The new decision stipulates that the parents of such children must have legal residency permits in the country and draw a monthly salary of at least KD 500. Parents of children under one year of age will be exempted from the salary condition. Those categories of professionals who are already exempted from the salary condition, like doctors, engineers, judges and others, will also be exempted.

Meanwhile, five MPs on Monday submitted a draft law proposing penalties for people who dress or look like the opposite sex. The bill, filed by five Islamist MPs, stipulates a jail term of up to one year and a fine of KD 1,000 for men and women who appear or behave like the opposite sex. The penalty is doubled in case of repetition. The bill also states that people connected to the violators, like teachers, trainers, managers, etc who do not inform authorities about them will receive the same sentence. Islamist MPs, who bagged close to 15 seats in the 50-member National Assembly, have vowed to focus on morality issues.