KUWAIT CITY, Dec 13: The residency affairs departments in various governorates issued around 3,000 family visas within 20 days of implementing the decision on granting such visas to children aged five years and below, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources from the security sector. Sources disclosed most of the beneficiaries are infants who were born in their countries during the summer vacation.

They asserted that the decision to exclude children from the decision announced on Nov 20 to stop the issuance of family visas is a humanitarian gesture as it aims to reunite the children with their parents who are working in Kuwait and were forced to leave the children in their home countries due to the visa suspension. Sources added most of those who have so far benefited from the decision Arabs.

Sources said the conditions for obtaining visas for children five years old and below are as follows: the parents must have valid residence permits, both parents should be in the country and they should meet the specified salary cap.