My wife is outside Kuwait since June 4, 2011. For some reasons, she will not be able to return before expiry of the six months limit on staying out of the country, and hence the residence permit will be cancelled automatically. Please let me know the procedure for applying for the exemption certificate as I do not want her residence to be cancelled since her nationality is Pakistani.

Name withheld

Answer: It all depends on the reason she is out of Kuwait. If it is due to children studying in Pakistan or because she is sick then you must adopt the following procedures:

1. Get a certificate from your children’s school indicating they are studying  at the institution or if she is sick then a certificate from a government hospital indicating the problem and the fact that she can’t travel.
2. Get these certificates attested by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.
3. Get a translation of this certificate and get it attested by your embassy in Kuwait and also the Kuwait Foreign Ministry, located opposite the Kuwait Club.
4. Attach this certificate to an application and approach the Immigration Dept in your area.
5. The Immigration Dept has the authority to relax the 6-month limit period for the entire length of her residence or for the length of the time she can’t travel, as mentioned on the certificate.