DFA warns Filipinos with tourist-visas bound for Kuwait

I am reprinting this news from the Philippine Star with the highlighted text mine:

The Department of Foreign Affairs Thursday advised all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) bound for Kuwait to possess the proper work permits and residence visas and not tourist visas in order to avoid problems with immigration authorities in that Middle East country.

The DFA issued this travel advisory upon the recommendation of Charge d’ Affaires, a.i. Ricardo M. Endaya of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, who urged “Kuwait-bound OFWs not to proceed to Kuwait if they are just holding tourist visas and hope to find work in this country.”

CDA Endaya warned that Kuwait-bound OFWs with tourist visas “are likely to be exploited by unscrupulous employers and eventually find themselves stranded with their wages unpaid.”

He also informed OFWs that “foreign workers who came to Kuwait with tourist visas that later expired were required to pay KD2 daily (equivalent to PhP370).”

This is the plight of many stranded OFWs in Kuwait, some of them are now staying at the Embassy’s Welfare Center, CDA Endaya added.

The DFA urged all OFWs to take note that the strictness of the Kuwaiti immigration in giving work permits and residence visas. Likewise, CDA Endaya advised OFWs that it is not easy to find good jobs in Kuwait unless he or she is holding Visa –18.

“Majority of Filipino workers in Kuwait have only Visa-20, which is for domestic workers and are not transferable unless agreed upon by the employers,” CDA Endaya said, adding that “a holder of Visa-20 cannot work in hotels, restaurants or offices.”