(united arab emirates) — the united arab emirates fully implemented a sweeping set of visa reforms on January 1, 2026, introducing an AI Specialist Visa and expanding visa-on-arrival access for Indian citizens as it seeks to draw high-skilled workers and simplify entry.
The changes, enacted by the uae federal authority for identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), also set new tiered salary thresholds for residents who sponsor visitors and widen eligibility for the country’s 10-year Golden Visa to cover additional professions and donors.
UAE visa reforms (effective January 1, 2026)
Under the new framework, the uae introduced an AI Specialist Visa aimed at professionals in artificial intelligence and machine learning, adding a new pathway as part of “New UAE Visa Changes in 2026” that officials have linked to a drive for “Zero Bureaucracy” and skilled migration.
Applicants for the AI Specialist Visa must hold an accredited STEM degree and earn a minimum monthly salary of AED 30,000 (~$8,170), with the permit issued as a renewable 3-year authorization.
The category is described as “often available without a local employment contract for those at recognized foreign firms,” according to the details provided, signaling accommodation for cross-border employment relationships.
Alongside the AI-focused route, the UAE expanded its visa-on-arrival facility for Indian passport holders, offering a 14-day entry visa upon arrival that can be extended for 14 more days, for a total of 28 days.
Eligibility for the visa-on-arrival program applies to Indians holding valid visas or residence permits from the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, or the EU, according to the published criteria.
The UAE also introduced new sponsorship rules that require residents to meet tiered monthly salary thresholds depending on who they plan to sponsor.
- AED 4,000 for immediate family
- AED 8,000 for extended family
- AED 15,000 for friends and non-relatives
Golden Visa expansion
Separate from short-term entry and sponsorship changes, the country expanded its Golden Visa program, which provides 10-year residency, to include teachers, senior nurses, and major humanitarian donors.
The expansion broadens the profile of who can qualify for long-term residency beyond technology-linked pathways while maintaining a parallel push to recruit advanced technical talent.
U.S. visa and immigration changes (late 2025 — early 2026)
The reforms come as Indian nationals and other high-skilled migrants face a tightening of U.S. immigration policies that take effect across late 2025 and early 2026, reshaping choices for professionals weighing work and residency options.
On January 5, 2026, USCIS confirmed a move toward “wage-weighted” selection for high-skilled visas, a shift tied to a final rule issued December 29, 2025 that replaces the random H-1B lottery with a process favoring those with the highest wage offers.
“The Trump administration will continue to demand more from both employers and workers as part of its commitment to H-1B reform,” said Matthew Tragesser, USCIS Spokesman, in a quote provided with the USCIS confirmation.
The H-1B selection change is set to take effect February 27, 2026, for the FY2027 cap season, marking a concrete date for employers and prospective workers tracking registration and petition plans.
Another U.S. shift arrived with Presidential Proclamation 10998 (Jan 1, 2026), which expanded vetting for H-1B, F, M, and J visa holders and instructed applicants to adjust their social media privacy settings to “public” to facilitate identity verification and admissibility checks.
USCIS also reduced the maximum validity of Employment Authorization Documents, effective December 5, 2025, cutting EAD duration from five years to 18 months for several categories, including adjustment of status applicants.
Implications and comparison
Together, the UAE and U.S. measures place Indian professionals at the center of two diverging approaches: a Gulf state offering streamlined entry options and long-term residency routes for targeted skills, and a U.S. system moving toward higher screening and wage-based selection for at least one major work visa channel.
For Indian citizens, the UAE’s visa-on-arrival expansion links short-term travel directly to existing immigration status in countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, or the EU, potentially making business trips and exploratory visits simpler for those who already hold those documents.
The 14-day entry period, extendable for another 14 days, also creates a defined short-stay window that can be used for meetings, interviews, and preliminary arrangements, without describing longer-term work authorization.
At the same time, the AI Specialist Visa’s salary floor of AED 30,000 (~$8,170) per month sets a high benchmark designed around senior-level compensation, narrowing the category to higher-paid AI experts and related specialists who can document both a STEM degree and earnings at that level.
The ability for the AI Specialist Visa to be “often available without a local employment contract for those at recognized foreign firms” signals a channel meant to accommodate cross-border employment relationships, though the details provided do not define which employers qualify as recognized.
The sponsorship thresholds add another layer to planning for residents already living in the UAE, spelling out income gates for sponsoring immediate family, extended family, or friends and non-relatives, with the highest requirement set at AED 15,000 per month for friends or non-relatives.
In the U.S., the move from a random lottery to a wage-weighted H-1B selection framework is set to change how employers compete for scarce slots, by placing greater emphasis on wage offers rather than chance.
The U.S. vetting changes under Proclamation 10998 also add a compliance step for applicants in categories beyond H-1B, including F, M, and J, by directing them to make social media profiles “public” to support identity verification and admissibility checks.
The shortened EAD validity period could increase how often some applicants must renew work authorization, including adjustment of status applicants now facing a maximum of 18 months rather than five years, based on the effective date of December 5, 2025.
The combined policy direction has been framed in the materials as a “talent tug-of-war” for Indian tech experts, with the UAE recruiting AI talent through long-term residency and specialized permits, while the U.S. implements stricter, wage-based screening.
Indian professionals are described as the largest group affected by both sets of changes, gaining easier short-term access to the UAE while facing higher costs and tighter vetting in the United States.
The materials also point to cost pressure in the U.S. system, referencing “a proposed $100,000 H-1B fee for petitions filed abroad,” alongside “longer vetting wait times in the U.S.,” though no further detail is provided here on the status of that proposal.
Official information on the UAE reforms is provided by the ICP at UAE Federal Authority (ICP), while U.S. visa proclamation information is listed at U.S. Department of State (Visa Proclamations).
USCIS updates referenced in the U.S. policy context are listed at USCIS Newsroom (H-1B & EAD Updates), and Dubai’s visa-on-arrival information is listed at GDRFA Dubai (Visa-on-Arrival).
As both systems recalibrate in early 2026, the UAE’s reforms set out clear numeric thresholds for AI specialists and sponsors, while U.S. changes lock in specific effective dates for wage-weighted H-1B selection, expanded vetting, and shorter EAD validity, leaving Indian citizens and AI experts weighing two sharply different policy tracks.
The UAE and USA have introduced divergent immigration policies for 2026. The UAE is simplifying entry with an AI Specialist Visa and easier access for Indian nationals holding Western visas. In contrast, the US is implementing stricter vetting, public social media requirements, and a wage-prioritized H-1B system. These changes force high-skilled professionals, especially those from India, to weigh streamlined Gulf residency against more competitive US pathways.
