Pakistan, UAE collaborate to address visa denials, says Ambassador Tirmizi

(Web Desk): Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, has called the UAE’s refusal of visas to Pakistani nationals a “serious and significant” issue. He confirmed that both countries are working together to resolve the situation.

Tirmizi’s comments come after reports of a decrease in visa approvals for Pakistanis, especially over the past year. The reasons for these refusals include concerns over applicants not following local laws, involvement in political activities, and allegations of sloganeering.

In an interview with Arab News, Tirmizi explained that he had met with UAE officials from both the foreign affairs and human resource ministries to discuss the issue. “This is a very serious issue, and it has been raised at the highest level in all interactions,” he said. “We are working to resolve the issue and hopefully, it will be resolved, but I cannot deny that it is quite significant.”

Tirmizi clarified that the main reasons for the visa refusals were issues related to the authenticity of documents and criminal records of some applicants. He added that the UAE is now using artificial intelligence (AI) to verify documents, and any discrepancies could lead to rejection. “There was a major issue with the authenticity of education and qualification documents from Pakistan that needs to be addressed,” he said. Even if documents are genuine, they could still be rejected if the attestation is flawed.

The ambassador also emphasized that people with criminal records should not be allowed to travel abroad. “We need to improve systems in Pakistan to ensure that only genuine travelers and workers with clean records are allowed to go abroad and find jobs,” he said.

On the subject of employment, Tirmizi noted that the UAE no longer needs unskilled labor, as much of its physical infrastructure is already built. “We now need to train people for high-skill jobs, such as IT experts, artificial intelligence specialists, accountants, doctors, physiotherapists, and laboratory technicians,” he said.

He also proposed introducing a four-year nursing program that would be recognized in both the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. “Pakistan has a surplus of labor, and we need to improve the quality of education in the country. It’s important that people have the necessary technical, cultural, soft skills, and language skills to compete in the international market,” Tirmizi explained.

Despite these challenges, remittances from the UAE to Pakistan have seen strong growth. According to Pakistan’s diplomatic mission, remittances from the UAE increased by 53.9% year-on-year, with projections reaching $3.58 billion for the financial year 2025. Tirmizi called this a “very significant development” and added that if Pakistan sends more high-skilled workers abroad, remittance levels will rise even more.

Tirmizi also pointed out the success of Pakistan’s participation in recent trade exhibitions in the UAE. As a result, exports of IT products and services from Pakistan to the UAE have increased by 40%. The UAE is now the third-largest destination for Pakistan’s IT exports, following the US and the UK.

Exports of food products such as rice, sesame seeds, and pink salt have also grown by 28% over the past year. The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly $5.6 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24. Pakistani exports to the UAE grew by 31%, reaching $873 million in the first half of the current fiscal year (July-December 2024), compared to $670 million during the same period last year.

Tirmizi emphasized that both Pakistan and the UAE are committed to resolving the visa issue and expanding their economic cooperation, especially in the areas of skilled labor and trade.