Work
Permits, No-objection Certificates & Work Visas
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 sector,
Employer must then obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the
General Administration of Criminal Investigation at the Ministry of
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 he must
take to the Embassy, Which will also have received a copy through
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for endorsement. The employee must
then apply for an entry visa for Kuwait, using the endorsed work permit.
More...
Kuwait is third-largest oil producer in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Huge amounts of natural gas compliment Kuwait's oil and petrochemical production. Kuwait has witnessed major economical changes and events during the past few years.
It has great wealth and is of tremendous strategic importance. Oil production and associated downstream industries, including refining and petrochemicals, account for around 90 per cent of foreign earnings and nearly three quarters of Kuwait’s gross domestic product. Kuwait has a healthy financial and banking sector, with commercial banks owned by the government or by wealthy trading families.
To provide against the possible future exhaustion of oil reserves, in the 1960s the government launched a program of industrial diversification and overseas investment.
Present industries include shipbuilding and repair, water desalinization, food processing, construction, and fertilizer production.
Food, construction materials, vehicles, and clothing are the principal imports.
The population is about 80% Arab; however, somewhat more than half the population are non-Kuwaitis.
Since the development of the oil industry, large numbers of foreigners have found employment in Kuwait; non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. Foreign ethnic groups include South Asians, and others.
The demand for new plans and projects has increased recently in Kuwait. The economy will have a positive growth especially in infrastructure projects, which will help Kuwait transform into a major financial hub and trade center.
The government plans to expand project development through local and foreign companies and to diversify and boost the economy.
