Rumours that the United Arab Emirates had stopped issuing all categories of visas to Pakistani citizens spread quickly on social media over the weekend of 26-27 October. In a statement released just after midnight on 27 October, officials reiterated that no formal ban exists; Pakistanis can continue to apply for tourist, employment and residence permits. What has changed, immigration officers said, is the risk-based screening algorithm inside the country’s e-channels system, which now triggers additional security vetting for certain high-risk profiles.
According to travel agents in Karachi and Dubai, applications that would normally be approved in three to five working days are currently taking up to three weeks, particularly for single male applicants under 35 and for domestic-worker permits. Employers have been advised to build in longer lead times or make use of the UAE’s recently introduced five-year multiple-entry visa, which is still being issued to Pakistani passport holders.
The clarification is significant for the nearly 1.7 million Pakistanis living and working in the Emirates, as well as for UAE companies that recruit from Pakistan’s construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors. Delays could affect mobilisation schedules for Expo City and COP28 legacy projects that rely on mid-skilled labour from South Asia. HR managers are therefore advised to file work-permit requests well in advance and ensure that applicants’ police-clearance certificates are less than three months old, as records older than that are being rejected.
From a wider mobility-management perspective, the episode is a reminder that the UAE can tighten background checks at short notice without issuing a public circular. Corporations with large South-Asian workforces should keep close contact with PROs and monitor the ICP’s smart-services portal for status changes. They should also invest in contingency plans—such as overlapping assignments or short-term business visas—to avoid project delays if processing times spike again.
According to travel agents in Karachi and Dubai, applications that would normally be approved in three to five working days are currently taking up to three weeks, particularly for single male applicants under 35 and for domestic-worker permits. Employers have been advised to build in longer lead times or make use of the UAE’s recently introduced five-year multiple-entry visa, which is still being issued to Pakistani passport holders.
The clarification is significant for the nearly 1.7 million Pakistanis living and working in the Emirates, as well as for UAE companies that recruit from Pakistan’s construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors. Delays could affect mobilisation schedules for Expo City and COP28 legacy projects that rely on mid-skilled labour from South Asia. HR managers are therefore advised to file work-permit requests well in advance and ensure that applicants’ police-clearance certificates are less than three months old, as records older than that are being rejected.
From a wider mobility-management perspective, the episode is a reminder that the UAE can tighten background checks at short notice without issuing a public circular. Corporations with large South-Asian workforces should keep close contact with PROs and monitor the ICP’s smart-services portal for status changes. They should also invest in contingency plans—such as overlapping assignments or short-term business visas—to avoid project delays if processing times spike again.
