13 common reasons for UAE Golden Visa application rejections

Experts recommend that applicants thoroughly review guidelines.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) revolutionized immigration policy through the Golden Visa introduced in May 2019 as a strategic move aimed at attracting talent and Investors. However, some applicants have expressed frustration with the process complaining that they face issues while applying and not getting approved.

This special visa plan provides foreigners with advantages like long-term residency rights, the possibility of multiple entries, dependents sponsorship, as well as increased stability for those, who work and live in the Emirates.

Expanding eligibility criteria

Originally targeting investors and talented students across the world, the Golden Visa programme has evolved to cover professionals, researchers and artists. Eligible applicants include:

Hyderabad Institute of Excellence

Level 1: Managers and business executives

Level 2: Sciences, engineers, health, educators, business people, IT specialists, lawyers, sociologists and anyone involved in arts or culture.

The eligibility criteria include the applicant must have a bachelor’s degree and the minimum monthly salary should be 30,000 Dirham among other standards.

MS Creative School

Common challenges applicants face

However, some people believe that the process is not very easy. Recent cases highlight the fact that most rejections are a result of failure to meet some requirements or filing in the wrong way.

According to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), common reasons for rejection include:

Insufficient experience: The Applicants must have at least two years of experience within the company of their current employment.

Inaccurate job titles: Designations on work visas must be given according to eligibility categories.

Salary and documentation issues: Clear proof of income, salary deposits through the WPS system, and academic certifications are mandatory.

Lack of health insurance: Applicants and dependents are mandatory to have sufficient insurance coverage.

Nomination letter gaps: Individuals in some categories are supposed to provide letters from government authorities of nomination.

Investor requirements

However, for investors of financial stability and substantial contributions crucial key criteria include:

  • Possession of assets or deposit account for Dh 2 million and above.
  • The company must pay at least 250,000 Dh annually in taxes as verified by the Federal Tax Authority.
  • Memoranda of association or investment fund letters to confirm business capital.

Evolving guidelines

Some of the changes based on the current information concerning the program have been observed by the experts in visa services.

Firms based in Dubai such as Virtuzone have noticed changes in processing outcomes depending on the quality of the applicants and the duty followed by the sponsoring firm.

“Any applicant with commercial intentions understands that the Golden Visa offers golden prospects however it has certain requisites that the applicants have to fulfil and the documents accompanying the application must contain accurate information and be complete in every possible way” Syed Zainul a professional business consultant in Dubai told Khaleej Times.

Future developments

As the program progresses, more officials are expected to release new guidelines, which would improve content clarity and accessibility.

The Golden Visa will always be an essential part of the UAE’s strategy to create a powerful image of the country as a global hub for innovation and professional talents.

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