US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4792

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; NEA/FO; ECA; IIP/G/NESA; 
CA/EX; CA/FO; CA/VO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  KPAO, CVIS, CMGT, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS REACT 
WITH JOY ON NEWS OF WARMLY WELCOME CHANGES REDUCTIONS TO VISA 
CLEARANCE PROCEDURESPROCESSING DELAYS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2003, ABU DHABI CONOFF 
AND EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR VISITED THE SCHOLARSHIP OFFICE AT THE 
UAE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION (MOHE).  DURING THIS MEETING, 
CONOFF DISCUSSED ADDRESSED THE CURRENT COMPLICATIONS FACING 
UAE STUDENTS, INCLUDING VISA PROCESSING DELAYS AND NATIONAL 
SECURITY ENTRY AND EXIT REGISTRATION SYSTEM (NSEERS) 
PROCEDURES, BUT BROUGHT WORD OF CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO 
BOTH.  WHILE OUR INTERLOCUTORS RAISED SEVEREAL COMPLAINTS, 
THESE UAEG OFFICIALS WERE DELIGHTED TO HEAR THE "GOOD NEWS" 
THAT MORE UAE STUDENTS MIGHT RECEIVE THEIR VISAS IN TIME FOR 
SCHOOL AND NOTED SUCH CHANGES WILL ENCOURAGE UAE NATIONALS TO 
RETURN TO THE US.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  AS PART OF THE EMBASSY'S ONGOING OUTREACH PROGRAM, VICE 
CONSUL TIM PONCE AND FSN EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR RANDA BASSIL MET 
WITH MOHE SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTOR NAJAT MAHMOUD AND HER STAFF. 
AT THE ONSET OF THE MEETING, NAJAT AND HER STAFF RAISED THE 
ISSUE OF US VISA PROCESSING AND NSEERS PROCEDURES.  WELL- 
QUALIFIED UAE STUDENTS OFTEN WAIT MORE THAN TWO MONTHS TO 
RECEIVE A VISA, WITH MOST MISSING A SEMESTER OR TWO.  NAJAT 
NOTED THAT OTHER STUDENTS AND PARENTS HEAR THESE STORIES AND 
INSTEAD CHOOSE THE UK, CANADA, OR AUSTRALIA, FOR WHICH THERE 
ARE NO VISA DELAYS.  FURTHER COMPLICATING MATTERS ARE THE 
NSEERS PROCEDURES.  MOST US POES DO NOT CLEARLY INDICATE WHERE 
STUDENTS MUST REGISTER, AND STUDENTS ARE OFTEN DIRECTED TO 
ANOTHER OFFICE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT, RESULTING IN FURTHER 
CONFUSION FOR THE STUDENTS.  OVERALL, APPLICATIONS FOR STUDY 
IN THE US REMAIN VERY LOW, DESPITE THE MOHE'S BEST EFFORTS TO 
RECRUIT STUDENTS TO THE US. 
 
3.  IN RESPONSE, CONOFF EXPLAINED THAT THE VISA PROCESSING 
REQUIREMENTS WERE RECENTLY BEEN REFOCUSED AND NARROWED AND WE 
HAVE IMPROVED THEIR IMPLEMENTATION.  IN PARTICULAR, UAE 
NATIONAL MENALES, WHO ACCOUNT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF UAE 
STUDENTS IN THE US, WOULD NO LONGER BE ARE ENCOUNTERING FEWER 
DELAYSAN AUTOMATIC SECURITY CLEARANCE ISSUED FROM WASHINGTON, 
THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE S IN VISA PROCESSING.  INSTEAD, 
EACH VISA APPLICANT WOULD BE ADJUDICATED BASED ON A POST 
NAMECHECK, THE PURPOSE OF AND ANY PREVIOUS TRAVEL, AND THE 
INTERVIEW WITH A CONSULAR OFFICER.  ALREADY, SEVERAL UAE 
STUDENTS HAD APPLIED RECENTLY , PASSED THE NEW REQUIREMENTS, 
AND WERE ISSUED A VISA THE NEXT DAY.  ON THE NSEERS 
PROCEDURES, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IS 
IMPLEMENTING EXIT CONTROLS AT US POES FOR ALL DEPARTING 
VISITORS, AND THIS EFFORT SHOULD RESULT IN EASIER PROCESSING 
FOR UAE STUDENTS. 
 
4.  WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING SOME STUDENTS WOULD STILL BE DELAYED, 
NAJAT AND HER STAFF WERE DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT MALE UAE 
STUDENTS WOULD NO LONGER BE AUTOMATICALLY SUBJECT TO A DELAY. 
SHE NOTED THAT THIS WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN ENCOURAGING UAE 
STUDENTS TO ONCE AGAIN CHOOSE THE US AS THE PREMIER 
DESTINATION FOR STUDY.  WHILE THIS IS QUITE A POSITIVE 
ACHEIVEMENT, NAJAT ALSO NOTED THAT THE MOHE STILL MUST 
STRUGGLE WITH PARENTS' AND STUDENTS' NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF 
THE US AS A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR ARABS AND MUSLIMS. 
HOWEVER, THIS PERCEPTION WILL IMPROVE AS MORE STUDENTS TRAVEL 
TO, STUDY IN, AND RETURN FROM THE US.  SO FAR, ALL MOHE 
STUDENTS STUDYING IN THE US HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS OR INCIDENTS, 
AND THEIR AND OTHERS' EXPERIENCES WILL STEADILY CONVINCE 
PARENTS TO ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN TO RETURN TO THE US. 
 
5.  FINALLY, CONOFF DISCUSSED WITH MOHE OFFICIALS THE CASE OF 
A SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT HOLDING US AND UAE CITIZENSHIP.  AS A US 
CITIZEN, CONOFF NOTED THAT THE STUDENT MUST TRAVEL TO THE US 
ON A US PASSPORT AND COULD NOT RECEIVE A VISA IN HIS UAE 
PASSPORT, DESPITE THE UAEG'S REQUIREMENT THAT STUDENTS RECEIVE 
A VALID VISA BEFORE THEY RECEIVE FINAL APPROVAL FOR THEIR 
STUDIES.  NAJAT POINTED OUT THAT UAEG LAW PROHIBITS UAE 
CITIZENS FROM HOLDING DUAL CITIZENSHIP.  IN RESPONSE, CONOFF 
POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS A UAEG POLICY, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE 
ONUS FALLS UPON THE MOHE TO ESTABLISH RELIEF FOR THE STUDENT. 
OTHERWISE, CONSULAR AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF ARE READY AND 
WILLING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE THEY CAN FOR THIS AND OTHER UAE 
STUDENTS. 
 
WALBRIGHT