US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4845

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004845 
 
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 WARMLY 
WELCOME REDUCTIONS TO VISA PROCESSING 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 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 SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, 
THESE UAEG OFFICIALS WERE DELIGHTED TO HEAR THE "GOOD NEWS" 
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 AND FSN EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR 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 REFOCUSED AND NARROWED, AND WE 
HAVE IMPROVED THEIR IMPLEMENTATION.  IN PARTICULAR, UAE 
NATIONAL MEN, WHO ACCOUNT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF UAE 
STUDENTS IN THE US, ARE ENCOUNTERING FEWER DELAYS IN VISA 
PROCESSING. ALREADY, SEVERAL UAE STUDENTS HAD APPLIED 
RECENTLY 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. 
 
ALBRIGHT