Expats In Kuwait Given 30 Days To Comply With Salary Rule Or Send Families Home

Gulf Insider

3 days ago

Kuwait has begun enforcing a strict set of new rules governing family visas for expats, summoning dozens of foreign residents found in violation of the country's residency regulations.
According to Kuwaiti authorities, the Residence Affairs Investigations Department has launched a targeted campaign in recent weeks, identifying expatriates who originally met the minimum salary threshold of KD800 ($2,610)_but later fell below this requirement due to job changes or reduced income.
These individuals most of whom had used their higher salaries to secure family residency permits (Article 22) for spouses and children have now been ordered to regularize their status within one month or send their dependents back to their home countries.
The enforcement action follows Ministerial Resolution No. 56 of 2024, introduced in January by First Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah.
Initially, the resolution mandated that applicants hold a university degree and work in a profession matching their qualifications, in addition to earning a minimum of KD800 per month.
A July 2024 amendment later removed the degree requirement but retained the income threshold as the primary condition for sponsoring family members.
'The KD 800 salary benchmark is based on socio-economic studies and reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that expatriates are financially capable of providing a decent standard of living for their dependents,' said an official source familiar with the ministry's policy.
The source added that the recent campaign is not a blanket crackdown but a targeted compliance effort informed by automated government systems that cross-reference employment, income, and residency data across departments.
The Interior Ministry has emphasized that the family visa process remains open to all expatriates, regardless of nationality or educational background, as long as the salary requirement is met.
However, under Article 29 of the revised regulation, eligibility is limited to those employed in positions consistent with their declared professions. Discretionary exceptions may be granted for children under the age of five or those born inside Kuwait, pending review by the Director General of Residency Affairs.