Key points
- Move likely to bolster ties between Pakistan and Kuwait
- Kuwait had tightened visa rules in 2011 for several countries
- 1,200 Pakistani nurses to be inducted into Kuwait’s healthcare sector
ISLAMABAD: The easing of visa access to Pakistanis by the Kuwait government has opened up work opportunities for migrant job seekers.
A significant number of Pakistanis already work in the oil-rich Gulf nation, although their numbers have decreased in recent years.
The Kuwaiti government officially resumed issuing a wide range of visas to Pakistani nationals, in a significant step towards bolstering bilateral relations and addressing critical labour needs.
According to Gulf News, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Zaffar Iqbal has announced plans to bring 1,200 Pakistani nurses to Kuwait’s healthcare sector, saying that an initial group of 125 nurses had reached the Gulf state last week.
Visa categories
For the first time since the tightening of visa rules in 2011, Kuwait decided to allow work, family, visit, tourist and commercial visas to Pakistani citizens.
A focal person of the Overseas Pakistanis Ministry welcomed Kuwait’s decision, saying that the new measures would provide employment, trade and tourism opportunities to thousands of Pakistanis in Kuwait.
Valuable foreign exchange
He hoped Pakistan would earn valuable foreign exchange after this decision.
According to Kuwait-based Arab Times, Ambassador Iqbal confirmed that Pakistani citizens had begun receiving approvals for various visa applications from this month, which restored a vital channel for travel and employment between the two countries.
