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CIWG 2027–28 Guide for Gulf NRI Students
CIWG Scheme 2027-28 (Gulf Quota) is a reserved category under DASA for eligible NRI students whose parent is an employee or has been an employee in an approved country of Gulf.
Eligible students can apply under the CIWG route for undergraduate engineering, architecture and planning programmes in participating NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, SPAs and other listed technical institutions.
The CIWG is not an independent entrance exam. The candidate should have a valid JEE Main 2027 Common Rank List score and should have completed the DASA counselling process.
| Student profile | Likely route | Main eligibility focus |
|---|---|---|
| NRI student studying in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait or Bahrain | DASA-CIWG or DASA Non-CIWG | JEE Main rank, NRI status, study history and parent employment |
| NRI student in one Gulf country with a parent working in another eligible CIWG country | May qualify for DASA-CIWG | Parent Gulf-employment records and candidate’s DASA eligibility |
| NRI student in the Gulf whose parent does not meet the CIWG employment condition | DASA Non-CIWG | General DASA nationality, academic, residential and JEE Main rules |
| OCI, PIO or foreign-national student in the Gulf | Usually DASA Non-CIWG unless the candidate separately qualifies as an eligible NRI for CIWG | Nationality, academic qualification, JEE Main rank and applicable category |
Get clarity on CIWG eligibility, DASA category selection, fee planning and document preparation before the admission cycle begins.
| Particular | CIWG 2027–28 details |
|---|---|
| Full form | Children of Indian Workers in Gulf |
| Common name | Gulf Quota |
| Parent admission scheme | DASA |
| Eligible candidates | Eligible NRI students |
| Entrance examination | JEE Main 2027 |
| Rank considered | JEE Main Common Rank List |
| Expected CIWG seat share | One-third of DASA seats |
| Expected eligible countries | Eight Gulf and Middle East countries |
| Expected registration fee | USD 300 |
| Expected first-semester tuition | ₹62,500 |
| Counselling system | DASA and CSAB Special |
| Participating institutes | NITs, IIITs, IIEST, SPAs and Other-GFTIs |
| IITs included | No |
Planning admission through DASA-CIWG requires students and parents to understand CIWG eligibility, JEE Main rank use, parent-employment documents, fees, participating institutes, seat matrix, cut-off trends, choice filling and counselling. This free eBook helps NRI families organise these steps in one place before the admission cycle becomes active.
Related guide: CIWG documents required
CIWG stands for Children of Indian Workers in Gulf.
It is a special category of seats under Direct Admission of Students Abroad scheme. CIWG is meant for eligible NRI candidates whose parents meet the prescribed Gulf-employment condition to compete for reserved seats in participating technical institutions..
CIWG should not be confused with:
Students applying through CIWG participate in the DASA counselling process. Their seat allotment depends on:
Related guide: complete DASA UG guide
DASA stands for Direct Admission of Students Abroad.
The scheme is an admission scheme of Ministry of Education for eligible NRI, OCI, PIO and foreign-national students seeking admission to participating technical institutions in India..
DASA may cover institutions such as:
The official DASA seat matrix provides the programme-wise seats and the participating institutions. The latest official cycle also had a revised DASA seat matrix released through the CSAB portal.
| Criteria | DASA Non-CIWG | DASA-CIWG |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | General DASA seat category | Reserved category within DASA |
| Eligible candidates | Eligible NRI, OCI, PIO and foreign-national candidates | Eligible NRI students with qualifying parent Gulf employment |
| Country coverage | Worldwide, subject to eligibility | Approved Gulf and Middle East countries |
| Entrance requirement | JEE Main 2027 | JEE Main 2027 |
| Rank used | JEE Main Common Rank List | JEE Main Common Rank List |
| Seat type | DASA Non-CIWG supernumerary seats | Reserved CIWG seats within DASA |
| Expected first-semester tuition | USD 4,000 for Non-SAARC candidates | ₹62,500 |
| Expected registration fee | USD 300 | USD 300 |
| Additional documents | Standard DASA documents | Parent passport, visa, work permit and employer certificate |
| Counselling portal | DASA and CSAB Special | Same portal |
CIWG candidates are not afforded leniency in academic requirements. They are still required to satisfy the JEE Main, Class 12, nationality, residential and document requirements as applicable to DASA.
Before choosing CIWG, verify the parent’s Gulf employment country, student category and DASA document requirements together.
The CIWG country list for 2027–28 is expected to be identical to the eight countries covered by the latest DAS.A structure:
| No. | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates |
| 2 | Bahrain |
| 3 | Iraq |
| 4 | Iran |
| 5 | Kuwait |
| 6 | Oman |
| 7 | Qatar |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia |
Many older articles only include the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, excluding Iraq and Iran. Students should use the full list of eight countries when planning their CIWG application.
Related guide: DASA eligibility criteria
A candidate must satisfy both:
Meeting only the parent-employment condition is not enough.
The CIWG category is intended for eligible NRI candidates.
Students with OCI/PIO or foreign-national status are advised to review their applicable DASA category carefully. If a parent is working in the Gulf, all candidate categories will not be automatically tagged with CIWG.
The student’s father, mother or both parents must work or have worked in an eligible CIWG country during the period prescribed for the 2027 admission cycle.
The qualifying parent may be:
The parent’s employment must be supported by valid documents.
CIWG and DASA seat allocation depends on the JEE Main Common Rank List. The TestPrepKart JEE app helps NRI students practise chapters, revise topics, take mock tests and track performance while preparing from Gulf countries or abroad.
Students must appear for the correct JEE Main 2027 paper.
| Programme | Required JEE Main paper |
|---|---|
| B.E. or B.Tech | Paper 1 |
| B.Arch | Paper 2A |
| B.Planning | Paper 2B |
DASA and CIWG seat allocation is based on the candidate’s JEE Main Common Rank List rank.
SAT, ACT, AP, IB scores or Class 12 marks cannot replace JEE Main for DASA-CIWG seat allocation.
NTA publishes the official JEE Main information bulletin, syllabus, application rules and examination details for each admission cycle.
For admission into B.E or B.Tech the candidate must have qualified Class 12 or equivalent with:
The qualifying examination should be recognised by the Association of Indian Universities or another competent authority specified in the DASA rules.
For B.Arch admission, the candidate is expected to complete:
The candidate must also satisfy the prescribed aggregate-marks or CGPA condition and appear for JEE Main Paper 2A.
For B.Planning admission, the candidate is expected to:
The age criteria for DASA 2027-28 will be decided as per the date-of-birth criteria mentioned in the admission brochure.
For planning purposes, students should keep their Class 10 certificate, passport and government-issued date-of-birth records ready.
The date of birth should match across:
Indian nationals and eligible OCI/PIO candidates seeking admission under DASA are generally required to have studied abroad for a minimum of two years including Classes 11 and 12 or equivalent during the specified reference period.
The candidate must also pass the qualifying examination from outside India.
Families should preserve:
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Related guide: DASA-CIWG seat matrix
DASA seats are supernumerary seats created in addition to the regular programme intake.
The expected seat structure for 2027–28 is:
Consider an academic programme with 100 regular seats.
| Seat category | Expected calculation |
|---|---|
| Regular programme intake | 100 seats |
| DASA supernumerary allocation | Up to 15 seats |
| CIWG share | 5 seats |
| DASA Non-CIWG share | 10 seats |
The actual number of seats can vary by institution and programme.
CIWG seats should not be described using a fixed nationwide estimate such as 800 seats.
The actual total depends on:
Students should check the institute-and-branch-wise DASA seat matrix before choice filling.
Understand the expected difference between CIWG, DASA Non-SAARC, DASA SAARC and double-tag fee planning before registration.
Related guide: DASA and CIWG fee structure
The expected DASA enrolment fee includes:
| Candidate category | Expected registration fee | Expected first-semester tuition | Expected initial payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| DASA-CIWG | USD 300 | ₹62,500 | USD 300 plus ₹62,500 |
| DASA Non-SAARC | USD 300 | USD 4,000 | USD 4,300 |
| DASA SAARC | USD 300 | USD 2,000 | USD 2,300 |
| CIWG and Non-CIWG double tag | USD 300 | USD 4,000 | USD 4,300 |
Other costs may include:
Before coming for the physical reporting, students should refer to the fee instructions of the allotted institute.
Yes. An eligible CIWG candidate may apply for:
A candidate choosing both seat categories receives a double tag.
The student is expected to pay the higher DASA Non-CIWG initial amount. Separate CIWG and Non-CIWG choices may then become available during choice filling.
When the final admission is obtained under CIWG, the applicable difference in tuition is refunded according to the counselling rules.
The double-tag option may be useful when the student:
Students should consider previous closing ranks and expected family budget before choosing this option.
Parent passport, Gulf visa, work permit and employer certificate should be checked before the DASA upload and verification stage.
Download jee E-Book Guide Join Whatsapp group For Updated Notification
Related guide: CIWG document checklist
For CIWG, additional parent-employment documents are needed along with standard DASA documents.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Candidate’s passport | Identity and nationality |
| Class 10 certificate | Date-of-birth proof |
| Class 10 marksheet | Academic verification |
| Class 11 transcript | Foreign-study verification |
| Class 12 marksheet | Qualifying-examination proof |
| Class 12 passing certificate | Proof of completion |
| School study certificate | Confirmation of Classes 11 and 12 abroad |
| JEE Main 2027 scorecard | Admission-rank evidence |
| Percentage or CGPA equivalence | Required where grades or another scale is used |
| Medical certificate | Medical fitness |
| OCI certificate or PIO card | Required where applicable |
| Pending-result undertaking | Required where permitted |
| Certified translation | Required for documents not in English or Hindi |
Every CIWG candidate should prepare:
The employer certificate should be issued on official company or organisation letterhead.
It should include:
A general experience certificate may not be sufficient when it does not identify the candidate or confirm the parent-child relationship.
Students must select the correct JEE Main paper and obtain a valid Common Rank List rank.
Register through the DASA and CSAB Special portal using the JEE Main application credentials.
Candidates may be asked about:
The answers and documents determine the candidate’s DASA category tag.
Pay the amount applicable to the assigned CIWG, Non-CIWG or double-tag category.
Upload all identity, academic, residential and parent-employment documents in the prescribed file format.
Verification officers may raise queries through the candidate portal.
Students should check the portal daily and respond before the deadline. Failure to resolve a query can affect CIWG eligibility or remove the candidate from the counselling process.
Candidates should choose combinations of:
Review the complete list before locking it.
Choices should be arranged in genuine preference order, with the most desired institute and programme at the top.
Seat allotment depends on:
Candidates receiving a seat may have options such as:
Students should understand the effect of each option before submitting it.
Report to the allotted institute with original documents and complete:
| Admission activity | Expected date |
|---|---|
| JEE Main 2027 Session 1 registration | October–November 2026 |
| JEE Main 2027 Session 1 examination | January 2027 |
| JEE Main 2027 Session 2 registration | |
| JEE Main 2027 Session 2 examination | April 2027 |
| JEE Main final result and rank | April–May 2027 |
| DASA 2027 information brochure | June–July 2027 |
| DASA registration begins | July 2027 |
| Fee payment and document upload | July–August 2027 |
| Mock seat allocation | Late July or early August 2027 |
| Registration and document upload close | Early August 2027 |
| Document-query response deadline | Early August 2027 |
| Choice filling and locking close | Early August 2027 |
| Expected Round I seat allotment | August 2027 |
| Expected Round II seat allotment | August 2027 |
| Physical reporting | August 2027 |
| Classes begin | August–September 2027 |
Date note: These are expected admission windows. Students should follow the exact date and time displayed on the DASA and CSAB portal during counselling.
Related guide: NRI admission in NITs
CIWG seats may be available at participating DASA institutions such as:
Participation does not mean that every institute offers CIWG seats in every programme.
Students must check:
CIWG choice filling should be based on rank range, seat matrix, branch preference and previous DASA-CIWG cut-off movement.
There is no single CIWG cut-off rank for all institutions.
The opening and closing ranks depend on:
Highly preferred combinations such as Computer Science at top NITs generally require stronger ranks than less demanded branches or institutions.
Divide choices into three groups.
| Choice group | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aspirational | Preferred branches and institutes above the expected rank range |
| Competitive | Choices close to previous closing-rank trends |
| Safer | Additional institutes and branches with historically wider closing ranks |
Students should place choices in genuine preference order.
The counselling system tries to give the best possible choice for which the candidate is eligible. Placing a safer choice below a preferred choice does not diminish the likelihood that the preferred choice will be chosen.
“NRI quota” is a broad expression used for different admission policies across private, state and centrally funded institutions.
CIWG is a specific DASA category.
| General NRI quota | CIWG |
|---|---|
| Rules vary by state or institution | Governed through DASA |
| May include private-college seats | Applies to participating DASA institutes |
| Admission criteria vary | Based on JEE Main rank |
| Fees vary considerably | Prescribed CIWG tuition plus institute charges |
| Sponsorship rules may apply | Parent Gulf-employment proof is required |
| May or may not be supernumerary | CIWG seats are within the DASA supernumerary pool |
Students should not apply the rules of a private-college NRI quota to NIT or IIIT admission.
Related guide: IIT admission for NRI students
No.
IIT undergraduate admission is not conducted through DASA or CIWG.
Students seeking IIT admission must follow the applicable JEE Advanced and JoSAA process.
CIWG applies to participating institutions in the NIT+ system and other institutes listed in the DASA seat matrix.
Students should prepare according to the expected eight-country list, including Iraq and Iran.
Living in the Gulf does not automatically establish CIWG eligibility. The student and parent must satisfy the prescribed requirements.
The parent’s passport, visa, work permit and employer certificate should be prepared separately.
DASA-CIWG undergraduate seat allocation is based on JEE Main rank.
Eligibility permits participation. It does not guarantee a seat.
Students must check programme-wise CIWG seats in the official matrix.
Restricting the list to only top NITs and Computer Science can reduce the chance of allotment.
Document-verification queries must be answered within the specified period.
IITs are not covered by the CIWG scheme.
CIWG is a reserved DASA category for eligible NRI students whose parent works or worked in an approved Gulf country.
Yes. Gulf Quota is the commonly used term for the Children of Indian Workers in Gulf category.
Yes. Students must obtain a valid JEE Main 2027 Common Rank List rank.
The expected list includes the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Yes. The qualifying employment may belong to the candidate’s father or mother.
One-third of DASA seats are expected to be reserved for CIWG. This is equivalent to 5% of programme intake within a DASA allocation of up to 15%.
No fixed national number should be assumed. Actual seats vary by institute and programme.
The expected initial amount is a USD 300 registration fee plus ₹62,500 as first-semester tuition. Institute-level charges may be additional.
Yes. Eligible students may choose the double-tag option and compete for both CIWG and Non-CIWG seats.
The parent’s passport, Gulf visa, work permit and employer certificate are the principal CIWG-specific documents.
No. JEE Main rank is used for DASA-CIWG undergraduate seat allocation.
No. IIT undergraduate admission follows JEE Advanced and JoSAA.
No. Allotment depends on eligibility, JEE Main rank, choices and available seats.
Registration and counselling are expected to take place between July and August 2027.
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The TestPrepKart academic and admission-guidance team supports NRI, OCI and international students with JEE Main preparation and engineering admission through DASA and CIWG.
Admission session covered: 2027–28
Disclaimer: Expected dates and fee estimates can be revised during the admission cycle. Candidates should follow the exact schedule, eligibility conditions and payment instructions displayed for the active admission cycle.
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