Work in Kuwait and the work visa

Work in Kuwait and the employment situation

The unemployment rate in Kuwait is unbelievable and surprising compared to some other countries. Unemployment in Kuwait has risen above 3% only once in the last decade. From 2010 to 2020, Kuwait has always had an unemployment rate below 3%, which means that a skilled workforce looking for work in Kuwait is quite unlikely to find a job.

Kuwait has staggering statistics in economic and occupational criteria. The income tax in Kuwait is zero, unlike many European and American countries, and all monthly wages are paid to the individuals without tax deduction. It is what Western countries call a tax haven. The inflation rate is also pretty low in Kuwait. Commodity prices in Kuwait remain stable for a long time, and the people’s purchasing power in Kuwait is always high and stable.

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Topics reviewed in this article:

• Kuwait work visa, required documents, and companion visa
• Required jobs by Kuwait in 2021
• Residence and citizenship with Kuwait work visa

Kuwait work visa, required documents, and companion visa

The applicants can obtain a work visa in Kuwait after receiving a work permit, and the step before applying for a visa is to receive a work permit. The Kuwaiti government has differentiated between citizens of different countries in issuing work visas. Arab countries such as Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia can work and find a job with no work visa. There is a preference for issuing work visas among other nationalities. Kuwait will initially issue work visas for job-seekers in Canada, the United States, Japan, and all EU member states. Other countries must find a Kuwaiti employer to offer them a job. Besides, the employer must follow and complete the work permit issuance process in the Kuwaiti Labor Office. After receiving a work permit, giving a work visa depends entirely on the visa officer.

If the applicants obtain the Kuwaiti work visa, they can take their spouse and children below18 with them. The applicants must submit the documents online to the embassy and apply for a Kuwaiti work visa.

Required jobs by Kuwait in 2021

The employers will need a workforce in different jobs every year due to the economic and production situation in Kuwait. They will publish their required jobs through the foreign labor recruitment advertisement. Kuwait always needs some technical jobs (the most lucrative jobs in Kuwait) such as mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, shipbuilding engineering, and computer engineering. Conversely, the applicants for other occupations such as art, accounting, and the law will have low chances in Kuwait. The job offers for non-Arab applicants are mostly given to multinational companies and large companies with branches in Kuwait. The jobs such as petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering have high incomes, which can vary based on one’s level and work experience. Because Kuwait does not have a work visa or does not grant residency without a job offer and through the Skilled Worker program, unlike countries such as Austria and Germany, the Kuwaiti required jobs list and the highest paid jobs are not officially published. Therefore, you should mostly search for related jobs on job search sites. You can find a way to communicate with the employer and receive the desired work through correspondence by sending your work history documents to these sites after finding a suitable job.

Residence and citizenship with Kuwait work visa

What accommodation plan does the Kuwaiti government have for a skilled workforce? Countries such as Kuwait and neighboring countries, unlike many EU countries, Canada, and Australia, have pretty strict residency and citizenship requirements for international applicants. All types of visas in Kuwait are temporary visas, and there is no initial permanent residence or obtaining a permanent visa after several years (under ten years). It is in contrast to countries, such as Canada and Australia, which grant permanent residency to the skilled workforce all at once by approving programs such as the skilled workforce recruitment by state and federal programs, even without a previous job offer. It does not mean that you cannot obtain Kuwaiti citizenship at all. Muslim countries usually do not go through the temporary residence, permanent residence, and then citizenship process and receive their citizenship under pretty specific circumstances. Although getting a work visa in this country allows a person to stay for one’s employment contract period. However, no matter how long this visa is extended, they cannot expect to receive permanent residence after five years, unlike EU countries.

The contract period is according to the employer’s official offer. For example, if the IKEA representative office in Kuwait wants the workforce for five years, the applicant will have a work visa and a five-year work permit. After issuing a work visa, confirming the employment contract at the Kuwait Labor Office, and a residence card, the applicants can apply for a companion visa and take their spouse and children below 18. Children’s study is free in the Arabic language in Kuwait. The Arabic language knowledge is one of the most critical requirements for finding a job, and the required works in other languages ​​ are exceptions. To obtain Kuwaiti citizenship, you must live in this country for 20 consecutive years (15 years for citizens of Arab countries). It is not the only citizenship condition, and the other critical requirement is quite difficult for other nations, including non-Muslims. A person applying for Kuwaiti citizenship must live in Kuwait for 20 years, know Arabic and, be born to a Muslim parent or, if not, convert to Islam for at least five years.