Kuwait Eases Rules on Amending Expatriate Workers' Qualifications and Professions

Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has issued Ministerial Circular No. (1) of 2026, regulating the amendment of expatriate workers' registered academic qualifications and professions. The circular was issued by First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and PAM Chairman Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, and came into effect on June 2, 2026. Under the new rules, expatriate employees may request an amendment to their officially registered qualification or profession where it can be demonstrated that the qualification, job title, and actual work performed are compatible, subject to approved procedures and supporting documentation. The measure addresses long-standing cases where a worker's registered profession did not match their real duties, which had previously exposed both employers and employees to compliance risks. PAM stated that the circular is intended to increase transparency and flexibility in the labour market and to give employers greater ability to align staffing records with operational needs, while maintaining oversight to prevent misuse of the amendment process. For businesses employing expatriate staff in Kuwait, the circular offers an opportunity to correct mismatches between registered job titles and actual roles, reducing exposure to penalties tied to profession-related violations under Kuwaiti labour regulations.