World - Qatar may raise salary limit for family visas

DUBAI: Immigrants working in Qatar getting a salary less than $1,924, might soon find it difficult to bring their spouses and children here, as
authorities in Qatar are looking to increase the minimum monthly salary limit for family visa by more than 50 per cent.

To sponsor wives and children an visa applicant must now have to have a minimum salary of 7,000 Qatari riyals or $1,924 up from earlier 4,500 Qatari riyals or ($1,235), according to media reports.

The increased cost of living in the Gulf state is being blamed for the move, Arabic paper Al Sharq reported.

"Once the decision to raise the salary limit is taken, we are going to straightaway reject the request of an applicant for family visa if his basic salary is less than QR 7,000", a source in the recruitment committee told the newspaper.

"We will be taking all possible steps to guarantee that no family visa applicant gets away with falsifying facts and figures. We are going to be very strict about implementing the rule once it is in force", he said.

In November, the Qatar Central Bank had said soaring rents due to a severe housing shortage was the single largest driver of higher inflation in the Gulf state last year.