PAM Implements New Academic Verification Procedures for Work Permits
Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), Marzouq Al-Otaibi, recently issued a circular approving the implementation of new procedures related to the academic qualifications and professions of migrant workers, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals, and Bedoun workers. These procedures apply to the issuance, renewal, and modification of various types of work permits through the Ashal portal for employers and the Sahel Business app.
According to a copy of the circular obtained by Alseyassah/Arab Times, workers’ academic qualifications are assessed based on three main criteria:
- Educational Level (e.g., doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s, diploma)
- Field of Specialization (e.g., Commercial Law, Biochemistry)
- Accreditation Status (e.g., unrecognized, preliminary recognition, administrative recognition, or full accreditation based on the Ministry of Higher Education’s equivalency standards)
The guidelines require employees to verify the compatibility between the applicant’s field of specialization and the profession listed in the application. Meanwhile, the system automatically verifies the educational level and accreditation status. Employers are only required to upload academic documents if prompted by the system during the application process.
For engineering professions, required approvals are verified automatically, and applications lacking proper approval are automatically rejected. A confirmation attachment is added to successful applications indicating that the required approval has been obtained.
For non-engineering professions requiring prior approval, employers must upload a copy of the approval along with the application.
Certain services are automatically accredited and do not require uploading academic qualifications or approvals. These include the renewal of work permits for expatriates, GCC nationals, and legal residents in Kuwait—provided the profession remains unchanged.
