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Post # 1
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Join Date: 27 Apr 2010
Location:  KuwaitPosts: 303 |
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Work Permits, no-Objection Certificates & Work Visas |
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Work visas are iqamas granted under articles 17 (for public sector employees) and 18 (private sector employees) of the immigration regulations. To obtain residence on a work visa an offer of employment must first be accepted. The Kuwaiti sponsoring employer then applies for a work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour, for which the sponsor needs a copy of the employee's passport showing full personal details, and any other Kuwait entry visas. A private sector sponsoring employer must then obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the General Administration of Criminal Investigation at the Ministry of the Interior which he does by submitting the employee's personal details.
If the employee is living in a country that has a Kuwaiti Embassy the employer will send him a copy of the work permit, which the employee will take, with a medical certificate, to the Kuwaiti Embassy for endorsement. The Kuwaiti Embassy will have received a copy of the work permit through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Those sponsored by private sector companies will require their NOCs and a copy of the employer's authorised signatory as registered for business purposes. A good conduct certificate, which is obtained from the police in the last place of residence, may be required for some nationalities. Applicants are also required to provide a medical certificate stating that their general state of health is good and that they are free of specific epidemic diseases. The Embassy will then provide an entry visa for Kuwait on submission of the application form. If the employee is living in a country that has no Kuwaiti Embassy then the sponsor will submit the work permit and NOC to the Ministry of the Interior to obtain the entry visa. If an employee is on a visit visa to Kuwait when he accepts employment, then, once the work permit and NOC are ready, he must leave Kuwait and return on the entry visa the sponsor obtains for him. This can be a short round trip to Bahrain by air for the day. Once he has entered Kuwait on the entry visa, the employee is required to undergo medical tests and obtain a fingerprint certificate before he can process his residence visa. |
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