Kuwait City (TDI): Kuwait officially resumed issuing a wide range of visas to Pakistani citizens, in a major step towards bolstering bilateral ties and addressing critical labour needs.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Zaffar Iqbal was quoted in Gulf media outlets as unveiling plans to bring twelve hundred Pakistani nurses to the healthcare sector in the Arab country, adding that the first group of 125 nurses had already arrived in Kuwait last week.
Kuwait stopped issuing visas to nationals from Pakistan, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan in 2011 citing security concerns. However, now it has decided to issue work, family, visit, tourist and commercial visas to the Pakistani passport holders.
Overseas Pakistanis Ministry’s focal person appreciated Kuwait’s decision, stating that the lifting of the visa restriction would provide multiple opportunities of employment, trade and tourism to Pakistanis in Kuwait.
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He expressed hope that Pakistan would earn valuable foreign exchange after this decision.
Pakistani citizens have reportedly started receiving approvals for different visa applications from this month that restored a vital channel for travel and employment between the two nations.
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Pakistan’s ambassador also said that both countries were in the final stages of signing a new labour memorandum of understanding (MoU), aimed to streamline worker mobility and collaboration.
He mentioned that certain are already being put into practice before the formal signing.
