Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI4408
2003-10-01 06:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAE STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS LOW BUT HOPE ABOUNDS

Tags:  KPAO SCUL CVIS TC 
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Diana T Fritz 03/20/2007 05:14:17 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM October 01, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4408 - ROUTINE) 

TAGS: SCUL, CVIS, KPAO 

Captions: None 

Subject: UAE STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS LOW BUT HOPE ABOUNDS 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 04408

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO 
 INFO: AMB DCM ECON POL 
Laser1:
 ACTION: PAO 

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MWAHBA
DRAFTED: PAO:TPONCE
CLEARED: PAO:HOLSIN-WINDECKER; CON:MMARRANO; CGD:JDAVIS

VZCZCADI171
RR RUEHC RUEHXK
DE RUEHAD #4408/01 2740627
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010627Z OCT 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1892
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004408 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; NEA/FO; ECA; IIP/G/NESA;
CA/EX

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SCUL CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS LOW BUT HOPE ABOUNDS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004408

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; NEA/FO; ECA; IIP/G/NESA;
CA/EX

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SCUL CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS LOW BUT HOPE ABOUNDS


1. SUMMARY: UAE NATIONALS CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR STUDENT
VISAS IN LOW NUMBERS, ATTRIBUTED MOSTLY TO VISA
REQUIREMENTS, SYSTEMIC COMPLICATIONS WITH THE TIMING OF
FINAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADES, AND PARENTS' MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT
US DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MUSLIMS AND ARABS. DESPITE THIS,
POSITIVE SIGNS ARE FOUND. MOST INTERESTING IS THAT UAE
NATIONAL WOMEN ARE APPLYING FOR STUDENT VISAS AND SEEKING
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE (PAO) EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN RECORD
NUMBERS. WHILE OVERALL STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS ARE LOW,
EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT PAO AND CONSULAR EFFORTS TO SPREAD
THE WORD ON STUDENT VISA AND NSEERS PROCEDURES AND BATTLE
NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES ABOUT THE US ARE BEARING FRUIT. END
SUMMARY.


2. FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 11TH, UAE NATIONALS STUDYING IN THE
US ON F, J, AND M VISAS DROPPED 20 PERCENT FROM A HIGH OF
2,700 TO APPROXIMATELY 2,100 FOR THE 2001/02 ACADEMIC YEAR.
STUDENT VISA APPLICANT NUMBERS FOR UAE NATIONALS FOR 2003
ARE AGAIN LOW. DUBAI'S OVERALL STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS
CRESTED PRE-SEPTEMBER 11TH LEVELS BUT IS DUE TO INCRESED
THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONAL (TCN) APPLICATIONS. FROM JANUARY 1
TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2003, THE CONSULATES IN ABU DHABI AND DUBAI
EACH RECEIVED 102 UAE NATIONAL STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS,
FOR A TOTAL OF 204. PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 11TH, ABU DHABI
RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 700 TO 800 TOTAL STUDENT VISA
APPLICATIONS IN THE SAME PERIOD, MOST OF WHICH WERE UAE
NATIONALS. OF THE CURRENT UAE NATIONAL NUMBERS, 146 WERE
ISSUED VISAS (72 PERCENT),12 WERE REFUSED (5 PERCENT),AND
46 STILL AWAIT CLEARANCE FROM WASHINGTON (23 PERCENT).


3. TO STEM FURTHER LOSSES, PAO ABU DHABI AND THE DUBAI AND
ABU DHABI CONSULAR SECTIONS CONDUCTED A BROAD OUTREACH
CAMPAIGN. THIS EFFORT INCLUDED OUTREACH TO UAE EDUCATION
AND HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS, MAJOR SCHOLARSHIP OFFICERS,
EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STUDENTS AT UAE UNIVERSITIES,
COLLEGES, AND HIGH SCHOOLS, AND LOCAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. DISCUSSIONS INCLUDED
PRESENTATIONS ON STUDENT VISA APPLICATION PROCEDURES, THE
NATIONAL SECURITY ENTRY/EXIT REGISTRATION SYSTEM (NSEERS),
THE STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITORS INFORMATION SYSTEM
(SEVIS),AND LIFE IN THE US. PAO AND CONSULAR SECTIONS
PLACED PRESS RELEASES AND INTERVIEWS ON THESE TOPICS AND OP-
EDS BY CONSULAR AFFAIRS (CA) ASSISTANT SECRETARY MAURA

HARTY.


4. WITH THE UAE GOVERNMENT, OUTREACH EFFORTS HAVE BEEN VERY
SUCCESSFUL. SHEIKH NAHYAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, UAE MINISTER
OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, DECREED THAT
ALL STUDENTS APPLYING FOR UAE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
(MOHE) SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US BE GIVEN INSTANT APPROVALS AND
REGULARLY OBSERVES THAT HIS SONS STUDY SAFELY IN THE US.
LIKEWISE, ADMINISTRATORS AT THE UAE UNIVERSITY, THE LARGEST
PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR 17,000 UAE
NATIONAL MEN AND WOMEN, ADOPTED A UNIVERSITY-WIDE POLICY TO
SEND TEACHING ASSISTANTS ONLY TO THE US FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
AND ADVANCED STUDY.


5. PAO STAFF ALSO CONTACTED EACH OF THE MAJOR UAE
SCHOLARSHIP OFFICES FOR THEIR VIEWS ON STUDENT INTEREST IN
STUDYING IN THE US. DESPITE THEIR DESIRE TO CONTINUE
SENDING STUDENTS TO THE US, RESULTS WERE MIXED ON STUDENT
INTEREST IN AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS. THE UAE MOHE ONLY
AWARDED 80 SCHOLARSHIPS, WHERE PREVIOUSLY, THE NUMBER WAS
NEARLY 200. LIKEWISE, THE ABU DHABI INVESTMENT AUTHORITY,
WHICH FUNDS APPROXIMATELY 1200 UAE STUDENTS FOR STUDY IN THE
US, SAW THIS NUMBER DROP TO 400. THE ABU DHABI NATIONAL OIL
COMPANY SENT 3 STUDENTS LAST YEAR AND WILL FUND 3 OR 4 NEXT
YEAR. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, THE "EDAAD" SCHALORSHIP OFFICE OF
SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED AL MAKTOUM, DUBAI CROWN PRINCE AND
UAE MINISTER OF DEFENSE, WILL SEND 36 OF ITS 41 SCHOLARSHIP
STUDENTS TO THE US, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE WORK OF DUBAI
CONSULAR AND PA STAFF. ON A FURTHER BRIGHT NOTE, WITH PA
ABU DHABI ASSISTANCE AND AMBASSADORIAL INTERVENTION, THE UAE
PRESIDENT SHEIKH ZAYED'S SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATION OFFICE
MAINTAINED ITS AVERAGE OF 15 TO 25 STUDENTS ANNUALLY,
SENDING 17 LAST YEAR AND 21 FOR 2003.


6. COMMENT: POST ATTRIBUTES THE LOW NUMBERS OF UAE
NATIONAL APPLICATIONS TO SYSTEMIC AND FAMILY FACTORS.C AND
FAMILY COMPLICATIONS. SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIP OFFICES DO NOT
AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS UNTIL THE UAE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
PUBLISHES STUDENTS' FINAL GRADES IN MID-JUNE, LEAVING
STUDENTS 2 TO 4 WEEKS TO RECEIVE UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE,
SEVIS, AND VISA CLEARANCES. VISA ISSUANCE IS NOT GUARANTEED
ANYMORE FOR UAE NATIONAL STUDENTS, WHO CAN FACE WAITS OF
SEVERAL MONTHS AND POSTPONING ATTENDANCE UNTIL SPRING. WITH
THIS CHOICE, MORE STUDENTS ARE CHOOSING THE UNITED KINGDOM,
AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA, WHO HAVE STEPPED UP WITH AD CAMPAIGNS
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PERCEIVED US RETREAT FROM THE
EDUCATIONAL MARKET. FINALLY, DESPITE MISSION-WIDE EFFORTS,
MISPERCEPTIONS GENERATED IN THE ARAB MEDIA AND FOSTERED
AMONG PARENTS STILL ABOUND THAT THE US IS A DANGEROUS PLACE
FOR ARABS AND MUSLIMS, COMPLICATING NOT ONLY STUDENT
RECRUITMENT BUT EXCHANGE PROGRAM EFFORTS AS WELL.


7. DESPITE THE LOW NUMBERS, THERE IS MUCH CAUSE FOR HOPE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, UAE NATIONAL WOMEN ARE APPLYING IN
INCREASED NUMBERS, ACCOUNTING FOR 30 TO 35 PERCENT OF
APPLICATIONS VERSUS APPROXIMATELY 5 PERCENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER
11TH. POST ATTRIBUTES THIS RISE TO MISSION EFFORTS TO REACH
OUT TO UAE WOMEN'S EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND THAT
ADDITIONAL VISA CLEARANCE AND NSEERS PROCEDURES DO NOT APPLY
TO UAE NATIONAL WOMEN. FINALLY, UAE NATIONALS CHOOSING
ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES AS ALTERNATE DESTINATIONS BEARS
THE POSSIBILITY TO RETURN THESE STUDENTS TO AMERICAN
INSTITUTIONS IN THE FUTURE. END COMMENT.

WWAHBA