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Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Visa 24 for mothers of Kuwaiti children - New Procedure


 I was married to a Kuwaiti until 2015, I was on a visa 22 during the marriage. After the marriage ended I went through a lot in order to receive a visa 24 which was sponsored by my Kuwaiti kids. Up until this year I had always renewed it with no problem every year as they refused to give me more than one year in case I get married again (eye roll). I went to the same manager who has helped me from the beginning only to be told that he can no longer help me and that I will have to go to Dajeej and get permission from the manager there. 

He gave me a wasta pass and I finally found the guy who should approve it. I handed him my documents, he asked me for some additional ones and one I had never heard of. He told me bring all of the document and he will 'work on it', I asked him what he meant by 'work on it' considering my visa expires on the 23rd. He said it will take time and asked if I had a friend with a residency, I asked why, he told me he could give me an extension but needed someone I assume is a sponsor.

The treatment of expat mothers of Kuwaiti kids is so bad. In Saudi the mothers are treated as Saudi citizens without receiving nationality which is great. In UAE they are granted 5 year residencies but here we have nothing to look forward to here. We walk the line here, we are still treated as expats, for myself my ex applied for nationality for me but didn't finish the procedure. The benefits for us, health care is mostly free, and we get a visa 24, that's about it. 

I never thought after 20 years of being here I would need a 'sponsor' for a 30 day extension. Am I running away? My kids are young and I'm stuck here and now have to have a sponsor?