676 Expat Workers Apply for Visa Transfer on Day One

02/05/2026

KUWAIT CITY, May 2: Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower has received 676 applications on the first day of a newly opened visa transfer allowing workers to move into previously restricted sectors (small and medium enterprises, industry, agriculture, livestock, and fishing), informed sources said. The transfer period, which began on May 1, will remain open until June 30.

According to the sources, the applications were submitted under a special exemption that allows the transfer of recruited workers without requiring approval from their original employers. The move temporarily suspends provisions of Ministerial Resolution No. 9 of 2016 and Public Authority for Manpower Resolution No. 842 of 2015, which typically restrict such transfers.

The decision, issued under the directives of Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, aims to support labor mobility and address workforce shortages in key sectors. These include small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as the industrial, agricultural, grazing, and fishing sectors.

Officials indicated that the initiative is designed to balance labor market needs while offering flexibility to workers currently employed in restricted categories, with further applications expected in the coming weeks.