Non-Kuwaiti population by migration status and country of citizenship of holder (2012)

Migration Status TOTAL
Country of citizenship Worker Family member Student Other resident 
ARAB COUNTRIES        
Iraq 4.366 10.484 0 412 15.262
Syria 57.752 75.845 3 1.954 135.554
Lebanon 18.665 23.301 3 617 42.586
Jordan 20.502 33.752 3 824 55.081
Yemen 5.458 5.167 2 135 10.762
Palestine 22 556 0 1 579
Algeria 316 509 1 19 845
Egypt 330.769 137.500 12 14.411 482.692
Morocco 1.791 1.594 0 110 3.495
Tunisia 1.792 984 3 84 2.863
Libya 39 108 1 1 149
Palestinian from Egypt 2.723 3.262 0 168 6.153
Palestinian from Lebanon 464 481 0 17 962
Palestinian from Syria 171 194 0 7 372
Palestinian from Iraq 2 1 0 0 3
Non-Kuwaiti 1 5 0 0 6
Saudi 0 1 0 0 1
Total 444.833 293.744 28 18.760 757.365
ASIA  
Afghanistan 10.255 3.044 23 367 13.689
Uzbekistan 47 65 0 2 114
Kyrgyzstan 25 23 7 3 58
Tajikstan 9 19 6 0 34
Kazakhstan  13 21 0 0 34
Mongolia 6 7 3 0 16
Turkey 1.359 786 1 126 2.272
Iran 25.528 16.365 5 740 42.638
Malaysia 161 253 22 5 441
Japan 63 54 5 4 126
Indonesia 12.707 1.177 9 143 14.036
Philippines 151.430 7.795 31 2.486 161.742
Pakistan 91.060 26.512 31 2.437 120.040
India 585.506 92.805 16 14.198 692.525
China 2.895 287 15 706 3.903
Taiwan 7 4 8 0 19
South Korea 753 243 7 115 1.118
Singapore 23 19 16 1 59
Bangladesh 178.485 6.936 9 4.741 190.171
Thailand 2.067 177 41 178 2.463
Sri Lanka  103.407 4.270 24 2.159 109.860
Nepal 53.653 254 1 1.578 55.486
Bhutan 10 13 0 0 23
North Korea 3.065 11 3 492 3.571
Vietnam 515 17 0 66 598
Cambodia 9 4 34 0 47
Myanmar 329 5 0 15 349
Other Asian Nationalities 53 28 5 1 87
Total 1.223.440 161.194 322 30.563 1.415.519
EUROPE 0 0  
Britain 2.362 1.724 1 90 4.177
Ireland 124 84 0 5 213
France 449 444 2 13 908
Holland 124 163 0 5 292
Belgium 54 39 0 1 94
Italy 226 160 2 17 405
Malta 17 6 0 0 23
Sweden 93 170 0 5 268
Norway 27 30 0 0 57
Switzerland 27 18 0 1 46
Austria 45 60 0 2 107
Germany 263 268 5 16 552
Spain 107 81 2 11 201
Portugal 94 40 0 4 138
Denmark 85 109 2 2 198
Greece 75 46 0 16 137
Cyprus 15 16 0 2 33
Czech Republic 48 30 2 0 80
Hungary 123 86 3 5 217
Slovakia 43 54 0 5 102
Finland 13 18 0 0 31
Lithuania 8 7 0 0 15
Poland 128 116 5 8 257
Russia and USSR 291 442 5 15 753
Ukraine 98 197 0 8 303
Moldova 20 9 0 4 33
Belarus 20 37 0 1 58
Bosnia-Herzegovina 134 68 9 3 214
Macedonia 43 19 3 3 68
Croatia 39 15 0 4 58
Serbia 120 79 0 12 211
Yugoslavia 62 42 0 0 104
Romania  340 227 0 50 617
Bulgaria 360 124 4 5 493
Albania 18 46 2 2 68
Kosovo 10 12 0 1 23
Armenia 138 97 2 9 246
Georgia 60 26 2 11 99
Azerbaidjan  20 45 0 1 66
Other European Nationalities 47 28 0 0 75
Total 6.370 5.282 51 337 12.040
AFRICA 0 0 0 0  
Ethiopia 75.810 266 2 1.201 77.279
Eritrea 568 545 3 19 1.135
Sudan 3.334 1.022 3 192 4.551
Senegal 73 60 45 5 183
Gambia 12 7 18 0 37
Guinea 19 19 9 0 47
Mauritania 67 56 6 13 142
Mali 58 12 21 3 94
Niger 53 63 22 1 139
Burkina Faso 12 9 20 1 42
Benin 56 37 59 6 158
Liberia 79 116 0 5 200
Sierra Leone 64 27 0 31 122
Togo 60 10 9 2 81
Ivory Coast 18 9 6 0 33
Nigeria 241 233 63 10 547
South Africa 409 195 0 31 635
Swaziland 8 12 0 1 21
Zimbabwe 38 24 0 10 72
Chad 94 55 12 1 162
Cameroon 18 3 3 0 24
Somalia 1.372 2.125 38 126 3.661
Djibouti 20 23 6 0 49
Madagascar 1.200 3 0 22 1.225
Mauritius 9 8 5 19 41
Ghana 707 43 14 27 791
Uganda 260 12 4 4 280
Malawi 10 15 0 0 25
Tanzania 33 22 13 1 69
Kenya 158 96 2 5 261
Comore Islands 36 28 12 2 78
Seychelles Islands 7 9 0 1 17
Other African Nationalities 52 59 11 1 123
Total 84.955 5.223 406 1.740 92.324
AMERICA AND OCEANIA 0 0  
U.S.A 7.806 4.987 5 469 13.267
Canada 2.626 3.796 7 101 6.530
Dominican Republic 100 179 0 6 285
Venezuela 97 125 0 2 224
Colombia 49 43 0 2 94
Trinidad and Tobago 11 12 0 1 24
Granada 10 7 0 0 17
Jamaica 12 5 0 0 17
Mexico 16 42 0 2 60
Brasil 87 86 0 25 198
Bolivia 14 40 0 1 55
Peru 11 7 0 1 19
Ecuador 8 12 0 1 21
Argentina 57 25 0 6 88
Australia 400 645 0 13 1.058
New Zealand 126 175 0 10 311
Fiji Islands 49 5 0 2 56
Other American and Oceanian Nationalities 55 52 0 4 111
Total 11.534 10.243 13 646 22.436
U.N. 4 2 0 0 6
Unknown Nationalities 1 0 0 0 1
GRAND TOTAL 1.771.137 475.688 820 52.046 2.299.691

Source: Ministry of Interior

 

 

ANNEXED NOTE

 

1. Definitions and data collection method

 

The migration status is inferred from the distribution of expatriates by type of residence permits they hold as of December 31st, the given year (cf. table in file MOV 2.3).

 

Workers are holders of permits n°17 (governmental labor), 18 (non-governmental labor); 19 (business) and 20 (domestic help).

Family members are holders of a dependent permit: spouse, children or elderly dependent relatives can join visa holder (sponsor) in Kuwait, if the expatriate has obtained a residency and is earning a minimum of KD250 a month (private and governement sector alike).

A working wife cannot sponsor her husband as a dependent. Also, sons over the age of 21 years cannot be sponsored as dependants, though adult daughters and parents may be permitted. Dependent family members are not allowed to work on a Dependent Visa, unless they transfer it into a work visa under Kuwaiti sponsorship. This can be done only after 6 to 12 months of holding a dependent visa.

Every children including new born babies must hold a residency permit. The application for the infant’s residence must be made within 60 days of the birth

The Dependent Visa holder is permitted to stay as long as the sponsor holds a valid visa.

Students are holders of a study visa

Other residents are holders of:

 

* Temporary permit: An expatriate may be granted temporary residence under article 14 of the immigration regulations in special cases where he does not need or cannot get ordinary residence.

This allows the expatriate to stay for up to one year, for personal emergencies such as illness, or after resignation from employment in order to settle financial affairs or a court case.

* Self residence permit: Expatriates may sponsor themselves under article 24 of the regulations and obtain a residence for two to five years under several conditions

(among which: being aged 60 and more, having worked no less than 25 years in Kuwait, owning a capital of 10000 KD at least; being able to produce a certificate of good conduct, being effectively residing in Kuwait with his/her family, etc.).

This form of residence can be renewed upon expiry. Self-sponsored expatriates may sponsor their wives and children.

 

Residency procedures do not apply to GCC nationals.

The bidoun, a stateless population, are not included in the residency documents holders.

The table thus excludes the Bidoun residents, the non-Kuwaiti GCC citizens and those in irregular situation.

 

2. Institution which provides data

 

Ministry of Interior

 

3. Period of data coverage

 

December 31st, given years

 

4. Data availability

 

2012 data is unpublished as of September 15th, 2013 and has been obtained from MoI.