If you’re a student or recent graduate seeking residency options in the United Arab Emirates, there are several avenues open to you.
- Sponsored by an Educational Institute in UAE:
- Foreign students can obtain a visa sponsored by their accredited university or college. They can contact the student affairs’ offices at their institution for assistance.
- Required documents include a recent colored personal photo with a white background, passport copy, Medical Fit certificate, Emirates ID Application, medical insurance (specifically for Abu Dhabi and Dubai), entry permit, and a certificate from the university specifying the study duration.
- Application fees amount to Dh100, with issuance fees of Dh100 per year per person, and Dh150 for e-Channel services.
- Golden Visa for University Graduates:
- UAE university graduates may qualify for a 10-year Golden visa if they graduated within the past two years from a university classified as either A or B by the Ministry of Education.
- They need to submit a recommendation letter from the university, an accredited graduation certificate, or an academic record indicating a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 for class A universities or 3.8 for class B universities.
- Foreign University Graduates:
- Foreign university graduates may also obtain a Golden visa if their graduation certificate is accredited by the Ministry of Education and the time since graduation does not exceed two years.
- The university attended must be among the top 100 globally, and the student’s cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5.
- High School Students:
- High school students achieving a minimum grade of 95 percent in either public or private secondary schools may be eligible for a 5-year Golden Visa.
- A recommendation letter from the Ministry of Education is required, and the initial visa cost is AED2978.90.
- Sponsorship by Parents:
- Parents already residing in the UAE can sponsor their children’s education. Female children can be sponsored regardless of age, while male children can be sponsored until age 25.
- After 25, sponsorship is possible only if the male child is attending a higher educational institute for at least a year.
These various options provide pathways for students and recent graduates to obtain residency in the UAE, either through educational institutions, academic achievements, or parental sponsorship.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
