Expats can transfer residency without employers consent after three years of employment

Kuwait: The Public Manpower Authority yesterday issued a new decision allowing expatriate laborers to transfer their residencies to other employers without the prior approval of their employers after three years of employment.

This means that expatriates will be able to change their employers after serving for three years without the need to have their approval.

Until now, transfer of residence permits is linked with the approval of current employers or after proving unfair treatment and non-payment of salary to the Authority.

The transfer of residence permits in Kuwait and other Gulf states is governed by the so-called sponsorship or Kafeel system under which the employers have the upper hand in deciding the destiny of their foreign employees.

The three-year decision appears to be the first step towards easing the controls of the kafeel system which Gulf states have pledged to abolish to international human rights organizations.

Source: Kuwait Times [Link]