Simply put, the answer is Yes! The Emirates School Establishment has announced that a total of 2,036 excellent high school students are eligible for the Golden Residency Visa.

What is a golden visa?

In the year 2019, golden visas were introduced by the UAE government. They are intended to allow expatriates to live, work, and study in the UAE without a national sponsor and enable them to own 100% of their enterprise on the UAE's mainland.

These visas are valid for ten years. If the recipient continues to follow the terms of the visa, it can be renewed for another ten years when it expires.

Visas must be renewed every two to three years for most expatriates.

The Golden Visa for Students

Students who received a cumulative score of 95% or higher in their UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) Grade 12 exams are eligible to apply for visas for themselves and their families. This means that even the CBSE students who just received their Grade 12 board exam results can apply for the golden visa because they have the per cent required. 

In addition to high school graduates with top grades, the visas will also be provided to university students in and outside the country with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) or at least 3.75 in specific scientific disciplines.

So to put it simply, outstanding students and their families are eligible to apply for a golden visa.

• Outstanding students at public and private high schools with a minimum grade of 95%.
• Students from universities both inside and outside the country graduate with a distinction GPA of at least 3.75.

How can you apply?

You can apply through two ways:

The first way is through The Emirates Schools Establishment (http://www.ese.gov.ae/ar/index.html).

The other way of applying is through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) (smartservices.ica.gov.ae).

Follow the steps below -

1. Click on Golden Services on top when you first enter the website.
2. Once you do this, click on start service.
3. Here, the page will guide you through a three-step process, and you’ll need to fill in all the necessary details.
4. When you come to the second section, Choose “High School-s Top Ranked Students in UAE” in the category section to continue the application process. The transaction reason would also be the same.
5. After this, continue to fill and complete the three-step process, and you’ll be on your way to getting a golden visa for yourself and your family.

How long does the nomination process take?

• You will receive an email within 30 days informing you of the outcome of your nomination application.
• You will be provided with a link to upload the appropriate visa documents after your nomination has been approved.
• The Federal Authority will verify your identity and citizenship application within weeks of uploading your documents, and you will obtain your visa.
• Suppose you are presently residing in the UAE. In that case, you will be issued a one-month temporary visa. You will be required to convert it to a residency permit during that time.