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DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates will expand its “golden” visa system, which grants a 10-year residency in the Gulf state, to certain professionals, specialized graduates and others, the UAE vice president said on Sunday.
Foreigners in the UAE generally have renewable visas valid for only a few years linked to employment. In the last two years, the government has relaxed its visa policy, offering longer residencies for certain types of investors, students and professionals.
All PhD holders, doctors and also engineers in computer science, electronics, programming, electrical and biotechnology are eligible, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said in a statement.
Also eligible are those with specialized degrees in artificial intelligence, big data, and epidemiology, as well as high school students living in the United Arab Emirates who rank top-ranked in the country and students from certain universities with a GPA of 3.8 or higher.
After first announcing a long-term visa plan in 2018, the UAE in 2019 began granting 5-year and 10-year renewable visas to certain outstanding foreign investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, scientists, and students.
The emirate of Dubai, a commercial and tourist hub in the Middle East, said in September that it would grant renewable visas every five years to wealthy foreign retirees.
As an oil and gas producer, the UAE economy has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, prompting many expatriates to leave.
(Reporting by Yousef Saba and Lisa Barrington; Edited by Alexander Smith and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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