Dubai: The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has dismissed claims in media reports suggesting that lifetime Golden Visas for some nationalities could be obtained for all categories from outside the UAE via consulting or commercial entities under simplified conditions, saying it had “no legal basis.”
Meanwhile, in a statement sent to Khaleej Times on Wednesday, a day after the ICP’s rejection of claims, the daily said the Dubai-based Rayad group has “apologised” for the “public confusion” over the purported nomination-based resident initiative, including references to a “fixed AED 100,000 fee” and a so-called “lifetime visa” arrangement. PTI in its story released on July 6 on the UAE government having started a new type of Golden Visa had reported that India and Bangladesh have been selected for the first phase of testing, and a consultancy named Rayad Group has been chosen to test the initial form of the nomination-based Golden Visa in India.
Based on the accounts provided by beneficiaries and people involved in the process, PTI had reported that Indians can now enjoy the UAE’s Golden Visa for life by paying a fee of AED 100,000 (around Rs 23.30 lakh) under the “new nomination-based visa policy”. The Khaleej Times said on its website that the Rayad Group issued a clarificatory statement saying: “The Rayad Group acknowledges the recent media coverage and public
discussions regarding a purported nomination-based UAE Golden Visa initiative, including references to a fixed Dh 100,000 fee and a so-called ‘lifetime visa’arrangement.”
It further said the Rayad Group has “apologised unreservedly for the public confusion caused by recent reports and commentary.