KUWAIT CITY, Nov 29: Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammed Al-Kandari has announced that the ministry is now steadfast on the conditions for transferring work visas under Article 18 of the private sector.

According to Al-Kandari, the change of direction is based on a recent announcement by the ministry to suspend the issuance of new work permits until the population components have been restructured. He said the ministry has exempted six categories of workers who can transfer their work permits, regardless of the period they have spent with their current employers.

According to Al-Kandari university graduates and their equivalents are exempted from the suspension of work permits, as well as workers with valid local contracts — without considering their academic qualifications.

Also exempted are the children of Kuwaiti women who are married to expatriates, transfers from public to the private sector, and those who lose their jobs due to dissolution, bankruptcy or merger or changes in the legal status through inheritance, sale and concession of shares. The exemption also covers employees who lose their jobs at the end of government contracts within the public sector.