Maj Gen Marafie

KUWAIT CITY, March 22: Director General of Residency Affairs Department Major General Talal Marafie says the bill to increase residency fees for expatriates is in its final stage and is currently with the Fatwa and Legislation Department for review prior to preparing an integrated bill which will be referred to the Parliament before it is referred to the Cabinet for approval, reports Aljarida daily.Major General Marafie clarified that the department has recommended increasing by 50 to 100 percent the charges of all services offered by the department such as residence permits, family visits, family visas, extension of residency validity for non-residing expatriates, commercial visas, transit visas and other services. He stressed that the procedures are correctional ones and are not targeting expatriates. Meanwhile, Major General Marafie affirmed that the amnesty period for residency law violators will end on April 22, and there are no plans to extend it. He indicated that around 45,000 expatriates benefited from the amnesty by either rectifying their legal status or leaving Kuwait, adding that those who chose to leave can return to Kuwait on new visas.Major General Marafie said the amnesty also allowed holders of Articles 18 and 20 residencies, who have been reported by their sponsors as absconding, to rectify their situation but with the consent of their sponsors. If they are unable to obtain the consent of their sponsors, they can leave the country and return on new visa.