- Work Visa Requirement: Pakistanis applying for work visas in the UAE and other countries must now provide police verification certificates, though this does not apply to visit visas.
- Clarifications on Visa Restrictions: Reports of “unofficial visa restrictions” for Pakistanis in the UAE were discussed in Pakistan’s Senate, but officials, including the UAE consul general, have denied any visa ban, noting ongoing efforts to streamline processes.
- Skilled vs. Unskilled Workers: While skilled workers face no issues in obtaining UAE visas, delays have been reported for unskilled laborers, although a significant number of Pakistanis have traveled to the UAE in 2024.
Pakistanis applying for work visas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries are now required to provide police verification certificates, according to the director general of the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment.
This announcement was made during an interview with Arab News this week.
The decision comes in the wake of media reports highlighting a decline in UAE visas issued to Pakistanis and a reduction in overall overseas employment for Pakistani nationals.
These challenges have been attributed to concerns about compliance with local laws, cultural norms, and involvement in political activities while abroad.
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On Monday, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development held a special session at the Parliament House to discuss what it termed the UAE’s “unofficial visa restrictions.” The committee urged the government to provide clarity to the public about the actual status of the situation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently stated that the UAE is working to streamline visa processes for Pakistani citizens. The UAE’s consul general in Karachi, Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Al Remeithi, also confirmed there is no ban on visas for Pakistani nationals.
“This police verification requirement is specifically for work visas and applies to other countries as well,” Muhammad Tayyab, DG of the Bureau of Emigration, told Arab News on Tuesday. He clarified that his remarks to the Senate committee were strictly in the context of work visas. “The media coverage on this issue could have been more cautious. My department deals solely with individuals traveling abroad for work and not those on personal visits or tours,” he said.
Tayyab emphasized during the committee session that a substantial number of Pakistanis traveled to the UAE in 2024. “I made it clear that if restrictions existed, over 65,000 individuals wouldn’t have traveled abroad this year,” he added.
Former Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) chairman Nadeem Sharif confirmed there is no requirement for police clearance certificates for UAE visit visas. “There are no such restrictions for visit visas. People have traveled to the UAE recently without needing these certificates,” he said.
During the Senate committee meeting, Arshad Mahmood, Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, acknowledged that while delays have been reported for unskilled workers applying for UAE visas, skilled laborers are receiving their visas without any issues.
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