Kuwait to make foreigners present degrees for visa renewal

Kuwait’s government will begin checking and auditing university degree certificates when expats renew their residency visas, according to reports.

Kuwait Times cited sources as confirming the measure, which will come into effect by the end of the month.

They said: “residencies will not be renewed no matter what the excuses are” if the certificate is not presented.

If expats present a different certificate to the one used when they were appointed they will be referred to the public prosecution to face charges of forgery.

The checks will eventually be extended to holders of other degrees.

“This measure will be adopted to achieve equality between citizens and expats, rather than be seen as something against expats,” the sources were quoted as saying.

However, they said it was part of plans to resolve the country’s demographic imbalance.

Kuwait last month introduced an $830 fee for companies employing excess foreign workers. It also introduced higher healthcare fees for foreigners this month and has reportedly stopped recruitment of unskilled workers from Egypt and Asian countries.

Read: Kuwait introduces new $830 fee for companies employing ‘excess’ foreigners

Read: Kuwait’s hospitals see 30% fewer foreign patients after fee increase

These measures come amid demands from some MPs to limit the amount of time foreign workers are allowed to spend in the country and the number of workers from some nationalities.

Read: Kuwait MP calls for 10-year limit for foreign workers

Foreigners are estimated to account for 70 per cent of the country’s 4.4 million population.