While many are still trying to understand the new draft law on residency of foreigners , which was approved by the Council of Ministers during its meeting held a few days ago, informed sources denied that the law sets a higher time limit for an expatriate’s stay in the country or that it has been set at “five years”, reports Al-Seyassah/Arab Times daily.
They clarified that this misunderstanding resulted from misinterpretation of the text of the bill’s article 13, stressing that the bill mainly aims to address deficiencies and combat residency trafficking.
The sources explained that the draft law stipulates an increase in the fine for violators of the residency law from KD 2 per day to KD 4, and KD 10 per day for violators of visit visas.
Article 13 grants a new type of normal residency, which is valid for a period of ten years, to investors and real estate owners as well as divorced women or widows of Kuwaiti men with children, and for the non-Kuwaiti husbands and children of Kuwaiti women.
The draft law introduces new provisions in articles 18 and 19 for combating residency trafficking and identifies the violations associated with it, in light of what has been proven through the illegal practices of a few individuals who have taken residency trafficking as a means of profit.
According to the draft law, “A domestic worker may not stay outside Kuwait for more than four months, otherwise his right to the granted residency shall be forfeited”.
Regarding the rules for the deportation of foreigners, article 21 stipulates that the deportation order includes the members of the relevant foreigners’ families, and those who are assigned to support them, unless it is proved that they have a clear means of subsistence”.
As for article 22, the period for the arrest of a foreigner, against whom an order has been issued for deportation, has increased to a maximum of 30 days at the end of the granted period instead of 15 days stipulated in the current law.
Article 26 prohibits a foreigner who was previously deported from returning to Kuwait except with the permission of the Minister of Interior.
Article 6 mandates every foreigner who gives birth to a newborn to submit an application with the child’s passport to the Ministry of Interior within four months from the date of birth of the child to obtain either a residence permit or a time limit to leave the country.
As for Article 14 (paragraph 3), an employer is required to notify the Ministry of Interior if his domestic worker or equivalent has left work, within a week of the latter’s leaving.
According to article 27, those who violate the provisions of Articles 6, 14 (paragraph 3), 15 (paragraph 3), and 16 of the law shall face punishment of a fine not less than KD 600 and not more than KD 2,000.
Source- Arab Times.
