Vice President/Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday November 15 announced that the UAE “golden” visa system has been widened.

Maktoum said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved a 10-year golden visa for all PhD holders based in the country and has also approved same for graduates who have a minimum of 3.8 grade point average from UAE-accredited universities.

The golden visa residency was also extended to specialists in Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, virology, epidemiology and UAE-based physicians and engineers in the fields of computer science, electronics and programming, electricity and biotechnology.

The tweet read;

Today, we approved granting the 10-year Golden Visa to all PhD holders in the UAE. Also, the Golden Visa will be granted to top graduates from UAE-accredited universities with a GPA of 3.8 and above.

UAE Golden Visa will also include UAE-based physicians as well as engineers in the fields of computer science, electronics, programming, electricity and biotechnology.

Other categories granted UAE Golden Residency are specialists in AI, big data, virology, epidemiology & UAE’s high school top graduates and their families. We are keen to embrace talent that drives future development and this is only the beginning.

The changes will take place starting from December 1, 2020. Foreign nationals living the UAE have a renewable visa. The visa is usually valid for two years and it is linked with employment.

The UAE authorities have made it more flexible with longer residencies, allowing investors, students and professionals to have 10 years visas.

Over the past few months, celebrities and sportsperson have been granted the golden visa. The scheme was announced for the first time in 2018.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.