Kuwait Ends 19-year Visa Ban on Pakistanis
Kuwait's decision to lift a 19-year visa ban on Pakistani citizens has opened wide range of employment opportunities, particularly in healthcare, oil, and skilled labour sectors.
The Gulf nation, facing rising demand for qualified workers, is now actively recruiting professionals from Pakistan including an initial batch of 1,200 nurses to support its workforce needs.
With access restored to work, family, tourist, and business visas, the move promises a major boost for Pakistani jobseekers looking to build careers abroad, while deepening economic cooperation between the two nations.
New era
Kuwait's decision to lift ban on Pakistani citizens is set to usher in a new era of economic cooperation, labor mobility, and people-to-people connectivity between the two nations.
Effective immediately, Pakistani nationals can now apply for a wide range of Kuwaiti visas, including work, family visit, dependent, tourist, and commercial categories. The resumption of visa services is being widely hailed as a positive step, reflecting Kuwait's confidence in Pakistan's improved security environment and its growing interest in strengthening bilateral ties.
Key benefits for Pakistan
Thousands of skilled Pakistani workers, especially in the healthcare and oil sectors, now have renewed access to jobs in Kuwait.The lifting of the visa restriction marks a strategic shift toward deeper economic collaboration. Kuwait is actively seeking skilled labour, and Pakistan, with its large, trained workforce, stands to gain significantly. The renewed access to Kuwaiti markets also creates openings for Pakistani businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors.
Diplomatic and cultural relationsBeyond economics, the decision enhances people-to-people contact, allowing families to reunite and tourists to explore both nations. This development reflects mutual trust and the evolving maturity of Pakistan-Kuwait relations.
Labour agreementsA new labour Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in the pipeline, aimed at regulating and safeguarding the rights of Pakistani workers in Kuwait. This will provide a more structured and secure framework for labor migration.
All visa applications can now be processed through Kuwait's online platform, making it easier and faster for Pakistanis to apply and plan their travel or employment.
Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Pakistan's Ambassador to Kuwait, welcomed the development, stating: 'This is a significant milestone in Pakistan-Kuwait relations. The reopening of visa channels for Pakistanis will not only address Kuwait's labor needs but also uplift thousands of families in Pakistan.'
Also read: Gulf Air Flight Lands Safely In Kuwait After Bomb Threat
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
a day ago
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Uncovers Decades-Old Citizenship Fraud After Inheritance Dispute
A decades-old case of citizenship fraud has come to light in Kuwait after a family inheritance dispute revealed that a man, long believed to be the son of a deceased Kuwaiti citizen, was not biologically related to the family, local media reported. The man, an Iranian national who had assumed a Kuwaiti identity in 1986, was sentenced to seven years in prison for forgery and fraud, according to court documents. He had already fled the country to Iran by the time the verdict was issued, and the sentence was handed down in absentia. The deception was uncovered following the death of the Kuwaiti father, when a dispute arose among his children over inheritance rights. Doubts surfaced regarding one of the heirs, who had been listed as the man's son for nearly four decades. The family filed a formal complaint, prompting prosecutors to order DNA testing, which ultimately confirmed the absence of any paternal link. According to investigators, the fraud began when an Iranian woman, after divorcing her first husband, married a Kuwaiti man. With his cooperation, she added her son from her previous marriage to his citizenship file, falsely registering the boy, who was born in Iran, as his biological son. The fraudulent entry allowed the boy to access Kuwaiti citizenship and its associated benefits, including state education and employment. He would later go on to become a commercial pilot under his assumed identity. Authorities said the man knowingly renewed his passport and civil ID multiple times using falsified information. Investigators also discovered significant irregularities in his official records, including multiple family affiliations, further raising concerns about systemic loopholes. The case has renewed public debate over identity fraud in Kuwait, a country where citizenship confers not only national identity but access to a wide array of state-subsidised services. Officials say the case highlights the government's ongoing campaign to uncover and prosecute fraudulent claims to citizenship, particularly those involving forged familial ties. Legal proceedings are ongoing to determine how the fraud remained undetected for so long, and whether any officials may have aided or overlooked the deception. Thousands of Kuwaitis have been stripped off their nationality since September 2024 as part of a wide-ranging administrative review conducted by the government to ensure compliance with national citizenship laws and legal residency regulations. The move, overseen by a Supreme Committee chaired by the Ministry of Interior, aims to address cases involving irregular naturalization, dual nationality violations, and instances of citizenship obtained through fraud or inaccurate documentation.
Daily Tribune
4 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Govts scramble to evacuate citizens from Israel and Iran
AFP Governments around the world are evacuating thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organising buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot. Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Friday targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran. With Israel's air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated via neighbouring countries. - Europe - European countries have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel. The Czech Republic and Slovakia said on Tuesday they had taken 181 people home on government planes. "It was not possible to send the army plane straight to Israel," the Czech defence ministry said in a statement, citing the air space closure. "The evacuees were taken to an airport in a neighbouring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot." The German government said flights were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday via Jordan, while Poland said the first of its citizens were due to arrive back on Wednesday. Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals via Egypt, while a private plane with 148 people landed in the Bulgarian capital Sophia on Tuesday. - United States - The US ambassador to Israel announced plans on Wednesday for evacuating Americans by air and sea. The embassy is "working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures" for "American citizens wanting to leave Israel," Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on social media. - China - China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and several hundred more from Israel. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday its "embassies and consulates will continue to make every effort to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens". - Australia - Australia has started evacuating around 1,500 citizens from Iran and more than 1,200 from Israel -- but missile barrages have made it too risky for civilian aircraft to land in either country, its foreign minister said. "There's no capacity for people to get civilian aircraft in, it is too risky, and the airspace is closed," Foreign Minister Penny Wong told national broadcaster ABC. "We have taken the opportunity to get a small group of Australians out of Israel through a land border crossing. "We are seeking to try and do more of that over the next 24 hours." - Pakistan - Pakistan has shut its border crossings with neighbouring Iran, except to Pakistanis wanting to return home. Around 3,000 Pakistanis have moved back from Iran since the conflict started, foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters on Thursday. The foreign ministry said the families of diplomats and some non-essential staff from Iran had been evacuated. - India - Around 110 students who fled Iran over the land border with Armenia have landed in New Delhi, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday. There are around 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran. In Israel there are around 30,000 Indians, according to the country's embassy in New Delhi. - Japan - Japan has ordered military planes to be on standby for around 1,000 Japanese nationals believed to live in Israel, and around 280 in Iran, according to government ministers. The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighbouring countries, a government spokesman said, as the war entered its seventh day. - Indonesia - Indonesia is preparing to evacuate around 380 of its citizens currently in Iran by land, Jakarta's foreign minister said Thursday. "Flights are no longer possible, so the only way is the land route. It will start tonight," Foreign Minister Sugiono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said in a video. At least 11 Indonesians in Israel have asked to leave and Jakarta's embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman was preparing to evacuate them, the ministry said. - Vietnam - Vietnam, which has more than 700 citizens in Israel and dozens in Iran, said it was working to ensure their safety. The foreign ministry said on Thursday that 18 Vietnamese from Iran were evacuated, 16 of whom returned to Vietnam. It did not provide further information on evacuations from Israel. - Philippines - The Philippines is preparing to repatriate 28 Israel-based Filipino workers out of 178 who asked for help, the Department of Migrant Workers secretary Hans Cacdac said Thursday. At least 21 Philippine government officials have also crossed into Jordan by land from Israel since the conflict began, the foreign ministry said.
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Denies Missile Threats, Confirms Airspace Safety Amid Regional Escalation
Kuwait's armed forces and government agencies on Monday reassured the public after social media was flooded with reports of ballistic missiles and alleged military activity in the country's airspace. In a statement, the General Staff of the Kuwait Army confirmed that the missiles in question had been flying at 'very high altitudes and outside Kuwaiti airspace,' posing no threat to national territory. 'There is no cause for concern,' the statement read, urging citizens to rely solely on official sources for accurate information. Addressing parallel rumors, the Kuwait National Guard also denied claims that its forces were conducting operations in the skies over the country. The Moral Guidance Directorate clarified that the Guard continues its regular security and defense duties in coordination with the Ministries of Defense and Interior, with no exceptional air missions being carried out. Meanwhile, the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) reiterated its round-the-clock preparedness to respond to all forms of emergencies, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Brigadier General Mohammad Al Gharib, KFF's Director of Public Relations and Media, emphasized the use of advanced detection technologies, specialized reconnaissance vehicles, and protective suits to safeguard critical areas — including land, sea, and airports. On the same day, Kuwait's Public Authority for Agriculture and Fish Resources convened an emergency meeting with GCC counterparts to address regional food security. Director General Salem AlHai underscored the urgency of regional cooperation, innovation, and knowledge-sharing to ensure sustainable food and water security amid rising global pressures. As regional tensions intensified following Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohammad Totonji, sought to calm concerns. Speaking at a press conference, he assured that Kuwaiti citizens in Iran faced no travel issues and reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to peaceful neighborly relations. Totonji condemned the strikes, attributing responsibility to Israel and, by extension, the United States. He warned that any violation of Iranian sovereignty would be met with a firm response. 'We have always respected the territorial integrity of our neighbors and will continue to strengthen relations in the region,' he said, also highlighting the humanitarian consequences of the recent attacks. At an emergency session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed that there was no radiological impact outside Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. However, he warned of possible internal contamination risks linked to uranium hexafluoride exposure, stressing the importance of transparent technical communication to manage fallout and prevent escalation.
