US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4859

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004859 
 
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