Month: February 2017

February 24, 2017

There are currently severe delays in the processing of Employment Permits and in obtaining appointments for GNIB Registration in County Dublin. There has also been a tightening up of border controls, causing longer security clearance times at ports of entry into Ireland. Employment Permit Processing Times There have been significant delays in the processing times […]

February 24, 2017

The Supreme Court has upheld the minimum salary threshold of £18,600 per year for settled residents of the UK who wish to sponsor a foreign spouse. Despite a legal challenge from families who claim the wage threshold is a breach of their human right to a family life, Judges ruled that the minimum income requirement […]

February 24, 2017

Changes to the rules of issuance of work permits became effective 3rd February 2017. The decree formalises several rules which earlier existed in practice, and introduces the following changes: Work permits can be issued for the purpose of concurrent employment The employer is obliged to conclude an employment agreement within 90 days after the decision […]

February 24, 2017

Earlier this month, Luxembourg’s parliament passed two new bills amending the rules regarding citizenship and introducing five new work and resident permit categories. Of the five new categories, one has been introduced following the implementation of the European Union (EU) Intra-Company Transfer Directive. Luxembourg is the seventh country to include the directive in its laws, […]

February 24, 2017

Net migration to Britain fell by 49,000 to 273,000 in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote, with approximately 12,000 Polish nationals and other eastern Europeans leaving the UK. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show net migration, the difference between people arriving in the UK and those leaving, has dipped below 300,000 […]

February 20, 2017

The UK Government has been called on to create a six-month visa for high-skilled talent in the technology sector, in order to guarantee that the UK retains access to overseas talent following Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU). The Coalition for a Digital Policy (Coadec) has proposed that the new visa, which would work […]

February 16, 2017

A new immigration law in Ecuador called “Ley de movilidad humana” has superseded the previous legislation, and reorganised several visa categories. Regulations to implement the new law are expected. This came into effect on 6th February 2017. Key Changes The 12-6 visa has been replaced by a subcategory of temporary residence. It is now obligatory to […]

February 16, 2017

Visitors are no longer able to enter Panama using visas for the EU’s Schengen zone.  The policy change came into effect on 13th January 2017 after a similar step was taken by Costa Rica in December 2016, where visas for Schengen zone countries or Japan were also made ineligible for entry. The moves, however, do not […]

February 16, 2017

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) of South Africa is no longer honouring Temporary Residence Visas (TRVs) issued with a validity period exceeding the foreign national’s passport expiry date, beyond the expiry date of the passport. This came into effect in January 2017. In all instances, where the DHA or a South African Mission abroad […]

February 16, 2017

The Japanese Government is considering shortening the time requirement for highly skilled foreign professionals to apply for permanent residency. With a greying society contributing to a shrinking workforce, this step is considered as critical to help lure more global talent to Japan. A new system for the issuance of green cards is due to be […]