Our housemaid has been with us for a long time, but will soon be leaving to return permanently to the Philippines. Can you tell us what the correct procedure is to cancel her visa before she leaves? LB, Dubai
You need to go to the immigration department at the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department and arrange for a visa cancellation form to be filled out by one of their registered typists. You will need your maid’s passport and her one-way ticket to her home country. You should also take her labour card, and your own passport as her sponsor. Bring several copies of these documents with you. On the day of departure take all these items to the airport, as well as any copies you might need, but make sure you arrive early as after your maid has checked in and been given a boarding pass, you both need to go to the airport immigration counter. They will formally cancel her visa, but note that they will also require her labour card and sight of her sponsor’s passport. She must then go directly to passport control as this is the point of no return.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com