Kuwait City: Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has announced the end of the temporary visa transfer exemption that allowed workers in previously restricted sectors to transfer to other sectors, confirming that 27,141 expatriate workers benefited from the initiative.
The temporary measure was implemented under Ministerial Resolution No. 2 of 2026 and remained in effect from May 1 to June 30. The initiative was introduced to address labour market needs and improve workforce distribution across key economic sectors.
According to PAM, the programme was considered a major success, with the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector recording the highest number of transfers. A total of 16,048 workers from the SME sector successfully transferred to other sectors during the two-month period.
The authority said the initiative was designed to support Kuwait’s economic development goals by enabling a more efficient allocation of labour resources while helping sectors facing workforce shortages.
With the exemption period now over, the previous visa transfer restrictions have been reinstated, and applications will once again be processed under the standard regulations.
