Month: August 2017

August 22, 2017

From 1st August 2017, the government-appointed visa agency, Window Malaysia has expanded its eVisa facility to include the “eVisa for Expatriate”, for work purposes. Window Malaysia aims to process and approve eVisa applications within two working days, an improvement on the usual five to six working days required to process a consular Visa with Reference application. However, […]

August 21, 2017

In this week’s edition, we announce that new regulations have been introduced in Colombia which modify all visa types, and that visa-free entry has been introduced in Qatar for 80 nationalities. We also bring you the latest immigration news from Israel, Japan and Nigeria.

August 16, 2017

Effective immediately, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has issued a directive that foreign professionals intending to work in Nigeria must first register with the relevant regulatory professional bodies in Nigeria. Who is affected? The new requirement applies to foreign nationals intending to practice any profession which is regulated in Nigeria, including but not limited to […]

August 16, 2017

The Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo has recently refused to accept a number of work permit applications for technical reasons. In addition, occasional rejections have taken place when applying to local migration offices for address registration, for employees who previously obtained work permits at the Moscow Migration Department in Sakharovo. What to expect The Migration […]

August 16, 2017

On 9th August 2017 Qatar announced that, effective immediately, nationals of 80 countries can enter the country visa-free for stays of up to 30 days or 90 days. Who Qualifies? The 34 countries whose nationals can obtain a multiple-entry visa on arrival for stays of up to 90 days, valid for 180 days from the […]

August 16, 2017

Starting 14th August 2017, foreign nationals holding temporary residence cards in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) must apply to exchange their old cards for new biometric residence cards. Foreign residents have until 31st December 2017 to complete the switch-over. In preparation for issuing the new cards, the Office Nationale d’Identification (ONI) in Abidjan temporarily stopped accepting […]

August 15, 2017

A major new set of immigration regulations has established new visa categories and requirements. Resolution 6045 of 2nd August 2017 repealed Resolution 5512 of 4th September 2015, and will come into force ninety business days from its publication date. Visas issued prior to the entry into force of Resolution 6045 will keep their validity and […]

August 15, 2017

The Ministry of Interior has recently relaxed the qualifying criteria for work permits for foreign experts engaged in professions requiring a higher academic education. Also, the immigration authorities have recently increased audits at client sites. Relaxed Criteria Effective immediately, the work permit sub-category for academically qualified foreign experts is open to applicants with at least […]

August 15, 2017

With immediate effect, the Japanese immigration authorities have implemented new guidelines for permanent residency applications for foreign nationals, including shorter qualifying residence periods for certain applicants. Who Qualifies? A part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Strategy for Revitalization, applicants for permanent residence who score over 80 points on the Immigration Bureau of Japan’s (IBJ) points-based […]

August 14, 2017

In this week’s edition, we announce changes to the New Zealand essential skills work visas which will affect visa duration and dependent privileges, and that stricter Saudization targets have been introduced in Saudi Arabia. We also bring you the latest immigration news from Czech Republic, Canada and Greece.