Is it possible to transfer a commercial visit visa to a residence visa, Article no. 18. I have a university degree but the issue is that my commercial visit visa has expired and the iqama (residence) has not been stamped. I have been assured that it will be converted into residence visa without any problems.
Will there be any problems as my commercial visa has expired. Also I don’t know how much time it will take to get the residence visa. What should I do as I don’t want any legal problems? Will I get the residence without having to leave the country?

Name withheld

Answer: You should not have any problems in transferring your commercial visit visa to a work permit as you are a university graduate but you have got to remember it can only be transferred to the company which got you the visit visa.
But you have got to get it done quickly because you will be fined KD 2 for each day that you are without residence.
You should also check whether your papers are being processed or not because if you are caught  at a checkpoint without any papers you could be arrested and deported. And lastly, if the company which got the visa for you is processing your papers you will not need to leave the country to get the transfer done.