Government Amends Immigration Law To Ease Work Permit Regulations

The government has amended the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act to strengthen regulations surrounding work permits for foreigners.

In a gazette notice, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Interior CS Musalia Mudavadi announced the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2024, highlighting the government’s aim to promote national interests while maintaining Kenya’s status as an international hub.

“The proposed amendments aim to strengthen the current regulations on work permits, promoting our national interests through enhanced digital jobs, smooth regional integration, fairness, and increased foreign exchange for the government while ensuring Kenya remains an attractive international and financial hub,” Mudavadi stated.

One of the key changes includes the introduction of a new class of work permit, Class ‘P.’ This permit will be issued to staff of the United Nations, diplomatic missions, intergovernmental organizations such as the Bretton Woods Institutions, and NGOs accredited to or based in neighboring hardship countries. The permit will allow eligible staff and their families to reside in Kenya.

Mudavadi noted that this move follows consistent requests from the UN office in Nairobi. “Acknowledging that UN staff are highly paid, their stay in the country benefits our economy through rent payments, school fees, and other expenses,” he explained. Permit holders under Class ‘P’ will pay a lower fee, but the charges will be in US dollars.

The government had earlier, on October 1, 2024, gazetted another permit, Class ‘N,’ targeting the increasing number of young professionals working remotely for overseas companies.

Mudavadi also addressed concerns raised by religious institutions over the sharp fee increase for Class ‘I’ permits, which apply to missionary priests, brothers, and sisters. The church has been vocal in opposing the rise from Sh5,000 to Sh50,000 per year, arguing that missionaries, who are unsalaried, provide essential services to the country’s most vulnerable communities, especially in remote areas.

To address these concerns, the government has amended Class ‘I’ permits to reduce the fee from Sh50,000 to Sh20,000 while narrowing the eligibility criteria for applicants.