Kuwait lifts visa ban on Pakistani citizens after '19-year hiatus'

In a major development, Kuwait has lifted its 19-year-long visa ban on Pakistani citizens, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis' Focal Person Mustafa Malik said on Monday.

In a statement, the focal person said that the Kuwaiti government had resumed issuing work, family, visit, tourist, and commercial visas to Pakistanis. It will provide thousands of people with opportunities for employment, business, and tourism in Kuwait, Malik added.  

“All these visas can be obtained through the online platform,” the focal person said, adding that the world was opening its doors to skilled Pakistani workers.

He further said that an annual job quota would be allocated for Pakistanis in Italy, adding that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had also been signed with Italy.

"Arab countries are also keen to employ skilled workers from Pakistan," the focal person added.

Meanwhile, Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Pakistan's ambassador to Kuwait, has announced plans to bring 1,200 Pakistani nurses to Kuwait soon to support the country's healthcare sector.

He revealed that an initial group of 125 nurses was scheduled to arrive in Kuwait last week. However, their arrival was delayed due to housing-related issues.

He assured that special teams are actively working to resolve the matter, and the nurses are now expected to arrive in the next few days. Iqbal announced a significant development in visa facilitation, saying, "I'm pleased to confirm that Kuwaiti authorities have resumed issuing a wide range of visas to Pakistani nationals, including work, family visit, dependent, tourist, and commercial visas—starting this May.”