KUWAIT: The interior ministry has placed a copy of its plan to deal with procedures regarding granting visit visas on the Cabinet’s agenda. Although the final decision is within its authority, it aims to inform the government of its executive plans - assigned to all government agencies - as part of directions to deal with demographics.

“The mechanisms for dealing with granting visit visas indicates the decision will be issued by the interior ministry soon and will be implemented at the beginning of the new year,” sources told Kuwait Times. “The draft decision includes a set of strict conditions for granting visit visas, including preventing the ability to transfer a visit visa to a work permit, as well as blocking all procedures facilitating this at the Public Authority of Manpower and the department of residency affairs at the interior ministry,” they said.

“A ministerial panel supported the interior ministry to double the fees for visit visas, and that dependents only include the wife and children. Parents will be considered dependents only for those who draw high salaries. A technical team is currently working on applying final touches to issue a decision on the conditions for granting visit and family reunion visas and present it to Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah to take a final decision,” sources added.