Kuwait: Whether a foreigner would lose his or her work permit and/or residency permit by coming to Canada or by not returning to Kuwait for an extended period of time; whether such a foreigner has a right to such permits; whether he or she has a right to return to and remain in Kuwait
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 8 January 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | KWT39863.E |
| Reference | 4 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Kuwait: Whether a foreigner would lose his or her work permit and/or residency permit by coming to Canada or by not returning to Kuwait for an extended period of time; whether such a foreigner has a right to such permits; whether he or she has a right to return to and remain in Kuwait, 8 January 2003, KWT39863.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4dbe31.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a visa officer of the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Ottawa, the application procedure that must be followed requires a foreigner to first apply for a visitor's visa through a Kuwaiti embassy (6 Jan. 2003). Once in Kuwait, the foreigner must apply for a work permit, and upon approval, he or she is then granted a residency permit (Kuwait 6 Jan. 2003). These permits cease to be valid when a person has been out of Kuwait for six or more months (ibid.). However, a foreigner can renew these permits by re-applying (ibid.). When a person has family in Kuwait, it is the family which must apply on the person's behalf from within Kuwait (ibid.).
While foreigners do not have the right to a work permit or a residency permit, nor the right to enter and remain in Kuwait without proper documentation, they do have the right to apply for these permits (ibid.). According to the visa officer, persons who have already been granted such permits in the past, who already have family and a business in Kuwait, do not generally experience difficulties in this regard (ibid.). However, each situation is different and is evaluated on its own merits (ibid.). For example, if a sponsor in Kuwait such as an employer, no longer "wants you to be in Kuwait," then an individual cannot return after the permits are no longer valid because the individual has spent an extended period of time spent out of the country (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Kuwait. 6 January 2001. Embassy of the State of Kuwait, Ottawa. Telephone interview with a visa officer.
