Month: September 2015

SAUDI ARABIA: New Residence Permit Card Introduced

September 17, 2015

The government in Riyadh has announced that, from 14th October 2015, a brand new resident permit identification card called the "Muqeem" will be issued which will replace the existing card, the Iqama. The deputy premier and Ministry of Interior, Crown Prince…

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IRELAND: New Shortage Occupations List

September 11, 2015

Ireland"s Employment Permits (Amended) Regulations have been revised, effective 1st September 2015, to accommodate the current dynamics of the Irish labour market. The highly skilled, or shortage occupations, and ineligible occupations lists have been updated to accommodate shifting demands, mainly in…

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European Union extends deadline for Employers to provide views on EU Blue Card reforms

September 11, 2015

30th September 2015 has been set as the new deadline for all to provide comments on the proposal to overhaul the EU Blue Card Scheme. The European Commission issued a migration agenda discussing the need for EEA skilled migration in order…

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SAUDI ARABIA: Labor Ministry Cuts Visa Eligible Jobs

September 9, 2015

In a move to reserve capacity for their internal workforce, the Saudi Arabian government has announced measures to strike off 19 job titles from migrant availability. The Labor Ministry has informed businesses that they will only be permitted to hire…

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CANADA: New Electronic Travel Authorisation

September 8, 2015

The Canadian government has followed the lead of the US and Australia in implementing a new requirement for citizens of countries that are visa exempt. The new program, called eTA, is an online registration system that travelers access through the…

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UKVI Plan to Revise RCoS Salary Bands

September 4, 2015

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) this morning announced plans to revise the number of salary bands in the points table used to prioritise applications for Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (RCoS) in months where the RCoS limit has been oversubscribed. The…

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RUSSIA: Schengen Visa Biometrics Introduced for Russian Nationals

September 3, 2015

Russian nationals applying for Schengen visas will soon be required to submit their biometric data, including fingerprints and digital photos. Press secretary of the European Union Delegation in Russia, Soren Liborius, confirmed that the Schengen Visa Information System (VIS) will…

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CHINA: Shanghai Releases Details on New R (Talent) Visa

September 3, 2015

The Exit and Entry Administration of Shanghai Public Security Bureau has released further details on the new immigration regulations for the R (Talent) Visa which includes the eligibility criteria, application processing times and the relaxed permanent residency rules. The R…

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UK: London Crowned as the World”s Most Popular Tourist Destination

September 3, 2015

London is now the top tourist destination in the world with over 17 million international tourists arriving last year according to Visit Britain. The largest group came from France with over 2 million visits to London last year, presumably due…

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UK: Home Office Publishes Revealing Stats on Sponsor Compliance

September 3, 2015

In a bid to increase transparency between the UKVI and the public, the second round of statistics have been published detailing the life cycle of Tier 2, 4 and 5 sponsorships in the UK. This round of statistics revealed a…

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