Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Faisal Niaz Tirmizi on Tuesday described the Gulf country’s refusal to issue visas to Pakistani citizens as a “serious and important” issue, saying both countries were working to resolve it. The envoy’s comments came after a decline in visa approvals for Pakistanis in the UAE, especially over the past year, reported by Arab News.
They also came after a decline in overall employment opportunities for Pakistani nationals, allegedly due to their lack of respect for local laws and customs, as well as their involvement in political activities and sloganeering. Ambassador Tirmizi recently held several meetings with UAE officials at the Emirati ministries of foreign affairs and human resources development to address the issue. Asked about the outcome of his meetings with the UAE authorities, the ambassador said there had been only a slight improvement so far, despite the issue being raised at the highest level.
Document authenticity issue
Tirmidhi said there were a number of factors behind the visa rejections, mainly document issues and the applicants’ criminal record. There was a serious issue regarding the authenticity of educational and qualification documents from Pakistan that needed to be addressed. The UAE is now verifying documents using artificial intelligence (AI) and any discrepancy could lead to rejection.
If they find any discrepancies, even if the document is genuine but the certification in Pakistan or the UAE is not genuine, it could lead to serious rejections. The envoy said people with criminal records should not be allowed to travel abroad, not only to the UAE but to any other country. Talking about the lack of employment opportunities for Pakistanis, Tirmizi said the UAE no longer needs unskilled labour as most of its physical infrastructure is complete.
Remittances to Pakistan from the UAE
Tirmizi said he had approached the Pakistani government to launch a four-year nursing programme recognised in the UAE and the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). According to the Pakistani ambassador, labourers earn a monthly salary of between $272 and $816 (AED 1,000 and AED 3,000), while skilled workers earn between $10,000 and $20,000 (AED 36,730 and AED 73,460).
However, Pakistan’s remittances from the UAE, the second largest source of foreign earnings after Saudi Arabia, have increased significantly in recent years. According to the Pakistani diplomatic mission in the UAE, the annual remittance statistics for the period from July to December show a steady trend: US$2.61 billion in FY2023, US$2.33 billion in FY2024 and approximately US$3.58 billion in FY2025, reflecting a growth of 53.9 percent compared to the previous year.