Visas, hepatitis B and other issues

Hello Kiwi and welcome to our growing community

i'll attempt to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge:

1. From what I know as a mother you cannot sponsor your children under your visa, it would have to be done through the Husband, as their name goes down as the sponsor. A mother cannot sponsor her children, a wife cannot sponsor her husband. Being from New Zealand, I believe you are allowed a visa on arrival, which would be valid for 3 months.

2. That I am not sure of unfortunately.

3. I am aware of expats who have been in Kuwait on visit visa's for a long duration of time. some teachers in schools do not have residency. you renew your visit visa by travelling outside the country and returning. Whether it is a month or 3 depends on the officer at immigration, generally western expats are given a stay of 3 months, the variance is in the price paid. USA citizens pay 3KD for 3 months, some European expats pay 6KD for 3 months.

4. again, not sure of the medical q's. we do have quite a few nurses on board here, hopefully one of them can fence these health related Qs for you.

Thanks, Legacy, for your reply. You're sure doing better than the Kuwait Embassy in Canberra - I've emailed them twice with zero responses. Not such a positive sign.(Actually, they're using a yahoo email address which is a bit odd for an embassy.Not sure why they wouldn't have a govt email.) It's really hard getting a straight answer on these issues. Everyone seems to have different advice/info.

The school that I had lined up for my children, which looked very good and which I came across after reading your posts about schools for expats, reckons women can sometimes sponsor their children but without confirmation from an official source I think it's probably not sensible to shift the family to Kuwait. Just so much conflicting information. I think I'm going to have to give up on the Kuwait plan. BTW, a big thumbs up to the administrators and you for helping out so many people with the forum. I've really enjoyed reading the posts. JazakaAllahukheir.

Allah yebareklek

tell you what, I'll do a bit more snooping and see if I can find a more reliable source regarding the sponsorship thing.

you could always try this website here the governments online web portal, you could get an answer

Thanks for that website, Legacy. I had a look at it, and checked out many of the links, but I couldn't find the information I was looking for. I'll give the embassy one last shot. I just want some clear and concise information on what happens if your dependent has Hepatitis B and whether a woman can sponsor her children. Not too much to ask? Well, maybe. I'm going to flick one last polite request to the embassy in Canberra and if nothing comes from it I'll pull the plug on this thing.

BTW, sometimes I get the feeling that whatever the embassy might tell me, it may count for nothing at the airport/in Kuwait. I'm getting the feeling that things are rather more 'fluid' on the ground than they might be in, say, Western countries. Sometimes I think I should just throw caution to the wind and just get on with it and come. But then, there are horror stories out there of people who've come off second-best and when you have a family to think of it seems a bit silly to not be clear from the start about what your immigration status will be.

I want to come, and I've invested a lot of time in the whole thing, and I'm really curious to try living in Kuwait after having lived in Saudi, but it just seems a bit too risky.

Anyway, rant over, thanks very much for your posts. We're having a long weekend here in NZ - Queen's B'day.

PS: If anyone on the forum has a husband/wife/child who has Hep B or C and who is currently living in Kuwait, I'd be interested to hear about their immigration status.  I'd also love to hear about any women who managed to sponsor their children.

well a happy birthday to her Majesty

the thing is, you are absolutely correct. i second that motion of throwing caution to the wind and here is why; as a Western expat you are allowed into Kuwait with a visa on arrival valid for 3 months. lets say your husband doesnt have a job offer here and u do, same with the kids, enter kuwait, husband looks for and subsequently finds job, problem solved. he'll have 3 month stretches to look for jobs, then he has to leave and re-enter kuwait, most people go to bahrain/dubai and return on same flight.

this can be a short term fix. in the long term, i am aware that some teachers here do not have residency and pull the 3-month travel lever every 3 months, however in terms of children going to school on visit visa's, that i believe is best answered by admissions at schools.

i'll throw a holler on twitter for you regarding women sponsoring their children. we'll see what comes up

Hello,

Hope you had a great long weekend! I'm not sure if I can help or answer your question, however my suggestion to you is call Canberra and speak to Viola/Mohammed Alghadr. They are very friendly and helpful (it will be faster than waiting for e-mail). Don't forget to call between 9am - 3pm AEST. As per the info on this website http://e.gov.kw/MOH_en/Pages/ServiceCon … rkers.aspx
it seems you need to be free of Hep B (unfortunately it is under contagious disease category).

Hope this is helpful?

Good Luck!
C

Kiwi i was reading the news today and came across something that made me immediately think of u regarding visas in Kuwait, the words are taken out of context for another issue, but they may shed some light on your queries:

link


He explained that in cases where the husband dies and the widow is working in Kuwait, the immigration department can transfer the residency visa of wife and children. He added that their residency visas can also be transferred to any working child from the family or a temporary visa can be issued to the widow for her to secure a job and later sponsor her children as orphans.

He also said a resident father above 60 years of age can be sponsored by any of the working children on family visa, but children and wife should possess residency visa. In case the man has lost the wife to death or divorce, he should present death or divorce certificate, including court ruling that gives him the right of custody of children.

so yes, there are cases where children can be sponsored by mother, it appears to be on a case-by-case basis.

Thanks Legacy and Jasmine2104 for your posts. That's very helpful.

Here's my update: I did call the embassy in Canberra as Jasmine suggested and I spoke to a Mr Mohammed and he answered my questions on the phone. Other forum dwellers might be interested in what he told me: he said that if we arrive as visitors, we'll be given 1 month at the airport, not 3. After that, we'd have to leave (say to Bahrain) and return. He couldn't say whether we'd get 1 month or 3 months upon returning. He didn't know.

Secondly, he said that if one of your dependants has Hep B, the embassy can't issue them with a visa. He asked me to contact my prospective employer, ask them to contact immigration officials in Kuwait to explain the situation and then the latter might send a letter to the embassy instructing the embassy in turn to issue a visa notwithstanding the Hep B.  So, a long process but at least we would have some degree of certainty before departing.

Thirdly, he said that, yes, sometimes women can sponsor their children.

For my situation, I've asked my employer to make enquiries as per Mr Mohammed's advice. I'm awaiting the response. 

Thanks so much for looking into this for me. 

Just for the record, I reckon that it's a bit harsh denying a dependent entry just because they carry the Hep B virus. According to the World Heath Organisation around 2 billion people have been infected by it. But WHO also say that its completely preventable with a safe and effective vaccine. All babies in NZ who get immunised (that's around 95%) get vaccinated against it. Furthermore, it can't be caught by causal contact, say in the workplace, only by blood or bodily fluids. So, if one's own family members don't have it there's not a huge chance of passing it on to others. And if you're immunised, well, you're pretty much safe. That's my 2 cents worth.

Anyway, I'll let you know what happens with my situation, just in case someone else finds themselves in the same boat.

many thanks and best of luck Kiwi

Hi Kiwi,
I've read your posts because we have the same situation like you.  My husband is offered a job in Kuwait now we are living in UAE,  but I'm afraid they will not give me dependant visa cause I'm a carrier of hepatitis B although here in UAE I didn't have any problems in obtaining the dependant visa. That's why I hope that you still visit this forum and can provide me with all information on your own example if your husband managed to get dependant visa with hepatitis B or they refused him.
Waiting for your reply.
Thanking in advance

My friends, regarding this issue. I am sorry to say the answer is no.

I know first hand, I witnessed it, that anyone who tests positive for Hep B is failed medically and sent back to their country of origin here in Kuwait.

I apologize for being the bearer of bad news.

Hi Zenya25

I've been here in Kuwait for one and a half years now, Sept will make 2 years. My husband cannot get a residence permit because of his Hep B status. He stays here on a 3 month visitors visa which we renew every three months by leaving by air and returning by air. This is the only option which we found was open to us. We will probably leave Kuwait for good shortly - this is one of the main reasons. So, if you are happy to do that you can accompany your husband and do the same. But if not, just stay where you are because its quite a hassle having to travel every third month, and quite expensive too. We are  a family of 5 and we spend a minimum of 400 Kuwaiti Dinar each time we leave and come back, not to mention the hassle or visas at the airports. You can't just drive out easily and drive back in - there are only two countries to choose from. Saudi: it won't give transit visas to people in Kuwait (in my personal experience) and Iraq: I didn't want to risk that one so didn't try that land border.

I hope this helps. Post a reply if you want more details, or a personal message if its more personal.

WOW guys @Kiwi2Kuwait and @Legacy .... the topic was raised almost two years ago and still the replies are coming in and helping people .... Bravo!

there are list of test result if found +ve , they will not issue residency in KUWAIT ..,

Thanks @justfedup. I'm happy to share my experiences if they are able to help others.

On the same topic…we already knew about the Hep B problem before we came in Aug 2012. We didn't have a problem with it in Saudi Arabia where we all got iqamas because there was a simple workaround, but here in Kuwait we couldn't find anyway around it. My husband is not working here so it's not a major problem. But it's quite strange really that this ban exists: I mean, we are living here in exactly the same way that we would be of he had an iqama because there's no health check for the visitor' visas.

Its also strange that someone is considered such a public health hazard even though his wife and children haven't been infected with the virus, so, I don't really understand the rationale behind this rule. But like other things here, there may not be a solid rationale, it's just that someone likes it that way. We all have private health insurance so it's not a cost issue for the government - we had no trouble getting that. And since we have been here, we haven't had any medical costs associated with the Hep B. It seems to me to be a rather silly and short-sighted rule.  But the people who can change rules like this one probably have no incentive to do so. After all, the authorities in Kuwait are trying to reduce the number of foreigners so I guess this ban helps!

Anyway, I just want to say that if anyone is in the same boat as us -ie.  they have Hep B and want to come to Kuwait - they should only come if they can stay here  as a visitor and are prepared to leave every 3 months. Don't bother if you are planning to come here and work. You will be wasting your time. Choose another country which doesn't discriminate against you on the basis that you carry the Hep B virus but are otherwise as healthy as a horse. Try New Zealand for example.

Oh, and one more thing. If you do come and decide that you will leave every three months, opt for air travel ONLY. Don't try to drive out over the land borders to Saudi Arabia and renew your visa that way unless you (somehow) have the right to enter the country on the other side. We tried it once and it worked fine. But we tried it again and it didn't: we got stuck in no-man's-land when an immigration official at the Kuwaiti border post stamped us as having exited, and then his colleague at the adjacent desk in the same office wouldn't allow us to re-enter (even though he had offered to do that only minutes earlier!!). It was a nightmare. No one should ever try that, ever.

Can a person who has tested positive for HEP C but has no symptoms be issued a work permit?

i believe the answer is no as it is the test scores they go by, not the symptoms.

If your positive it means you will be on the next flight out, with or without symptoms.

thanks for the replies....my Kuwaiti journey has now ended even before it started

my husband just got job in kuwait, anyway he s not have hp B, its just me, n my kids got all imunisasi when they born,God i hope they all clean like my husband,
the question is if my family move to kuwait, is it posible for me go n back every month coz my country only giving 1 month VOA to kuwait and i also can't get resident Visa coz my Hep B, anyone can give me information regarding this

Hi there

You have a difficult situation and as far as I am aware, your only option is to stay on a visitor's visa. You will have to fly out of the country, stay outside for 24hrs, then return by air to renew your visa. This will be quite a hassle if you are only able to get 1 month visitors visas. My country, NZ, has an agreement with Kuwait so we give each others' citizens 3 months visitor's visas but India might be different.

I think you consider your situation carefully before shifting to Kuwait. There is no way around the Hep B ban. Do not go forth an take the medical in the hope that you might pass if you know you are Hep B positive. It might result in your immediate deportation.

That's about all I know. If I were in your shoes, I would consider other countries and leave Kuwait out of the picture.

Hope this is is useful. PLease read the whole thread for more details. Good luck.

hi kiwi2kuwait,

thanks for replies,
i do my test hep b, and the funny is after deliver baby , (just deliver second time), there is always mention that i have no hep b, same result like 7 years back, but after somethimes, it says positive again, my doctor says no need treatment as my hep b virus very small amount , but still detecable if they dna/iu counting.

as you say, what ever i say Hep B + mean + in kuwait weater treatment or not they dont care ( isnt), just banned.

Hi everyone
I'll be travelling to Kuwait in app.two weeks and I'm already concerned about not being able to see my child until my husband finds a job there and obtains residence.
My questions are the following:
1. how long does it take to obtain the residence (so as for my husband to be able to sponsor our child)
2. if I get his NOC for the child to be sponsored by me in Kuwait, will it work?

Thanks a million!

Hie I have recently moved from South Africa to Kuwait and 2weeks after arriving in Kuwait I contracted hepatitis A my medicals were already booked and therefore had to take my medicals before it was really out of my system.  My question is will I be deported if they detect it in my medicals. I have only heard of pple talking about B and C and there is no information on A but still I am worried. Will I get my residency or its a reason for deportation.  I do not have hepatitis B or C as I was tested before I left SA and I am HIV negative

Regards

should be safe; hepatitis A is curable, with bed rest and honey or some other home remedy; the other two are manageable, so the state worries as they can be transmitted.

wow...am learning a lot ...thanks guys....but am heb B.positive ,does it mean i can't travel to Kuwait?

and what if am going to work as a house help...is it possible?

Iam suffering from hbsag positive any chances to kuwait plese tel me

Hi All, I  have a related but somewhat different situation to the above thread. The doctor has written the following in my medical report:

HIV Negative
Hepatitis B&C Negative
Hepatitis A Positive for antibodies due to earlier contact but no current infection.

Medical pple know that this means immune to Hep A but does anyone have any experience of this situation while picking up the Visa stamp at the embassy? Will it be an issue?