Grads from the top 100 universities around the world will be able to apply for long-term residency visas in the UAE, as part of the government’s plans to attract global talent. The changes to the visa system were outlined last month, including a major overhaul of the golden visa system, permitting foreigners to live and work in the United Arab Emirates for up to 10 years without sponsorship. 

Golden visas

The government has increased the eligibility range for these visas, with holders allowed to sponsor family members to join them in the UAE. These changes are due to be implemented later in the year. According to a statement published by Emirates News Agency, the change to the system is aimed at “attracting and retaining global talents and skilled workers” and also “boosting the competitiveness” of the job market in the UAE. This focus on attracting talent now extends to the introduction of a particular golden visa for the best graduates from the top 100 universities in the world.

Graduate golden visa

For this special visa, criteria such as university ranking, academic performance and the year of graduation will be considered when looking at applications. The rating system has been created by the Emirates’ education departments, along with the QS world ranking system, which considers teaching, research and employability. “The UAE’s visa program highlights that university rankings are an important part of the toolkit in understanding comparative university performance in a global context,” said Leigh Kamolins, director of analytics and evaluation at QS. “In addition, it highlights the importance that governments and employers are placing on reputable, quality education for enabling career mobility and driving knowledge economies.” Top-performing students at schools in the United Arab Emirates and “outstanding” graduates from UAE universities can also apply for these golden visas. “The recent changes that the UAE government has introduced have definitely been welcomed with quite a lot of open arms,” stated Abeer Husseini, partner at immigration law firm Fragomen.