Category: Immigration Insights

IRELAND: DJEI Trusted Partner Initiative Launch

May 28, 2015

On 12th May, the Irish government launched the "Trusted Partner Initiative" which allows registered groups of employers or contractors from the EEA to cut visa registration time and paperwork when making applications for their workforce. According to the scheme"s promoters,…

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SINGAPORE: Applications to Transfer to an Online System

May 28, 2015

As of 1st June, the immigration authorities in Singapore are switching to electronic application submission for most categories. Only the following 5 types of Work Pass applications for Singapore will continue to be considered if submitted manually: • DP/LVTP of…

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UK: Conservative Party Updates Policies to Curb Immigration

May 26, 2015

Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech at the Home Office on Immigration. In this speech he revealed that he would continue to uphold his policy on reducing net migration to below 100,000. This is all despite the…

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SOUTH AFRICA: New Rules for Travelling Children

May 25, 2015

From 1st June, stringent new rules aimed at tackling child trafficking will come into effect for all under-age children arriving/departing South Africa. While it is hoped that this will help protect scores of children brought into/out of the country illegally…

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UK: Delays in Visa Applications from the US

May 22, 2015

The British Consulate General in New York is currently experiencing a high volume of UK visa applications coupled with technical issues following the recent introduction of Biometric Residence Permit cards for overseas applicants and ensuing IT upgrades. The Entry Clearance…

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Canada: Mandatory ETA in 2016 for Visa Exempt Nationals

May 14, 2015

The government of Canada has announced its intention to implement a pre-entry screening process for those foreign nationals who are currently exempt from the requirement to obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) before they enter Canada. This means that visitors…

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SAUDI ARABIA: Changes to Saudization Calculations for Sponsoring Companies

April 21, 2015

The Saudi Ministry of Labor recently introduced two amendments to their method for calculating "Saudization" rates. These changes aim to provide increased flexibility to employers for sponsoring foreign nationals whilst also protecting the Saudi Arabian workforce. What is Saudization?…

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AUSTRALIA: Changes to the Subclass 457 Visa Programme following Independent Review

April 10, 2015

In September 2014, the Department of Immigration in Australia released a long-awaited Independent Review into the Integrity in the Subclass 457 programme. Subclass 457 is used to fill job roles with temporary skilled migrants where there are skills shortages. The...

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AUSTRALIA: Changes to the Subclass 457 Visa Programme following Independent Review

April 9, 2015

In September 2014, the Department of Immigration in Australia released a long-awaited Independent Review into the Integrity in the Subclass 457 programme. Subclass 457 is used to fill job roles with temporary skilled migrants where there are skills shortages. The…

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NHS Surcharge for Migrants in the UK

April 8, 2015

The Home Office, as part of a reform programme led by the Department of Health, has taken steps to ensure that temporary migrants coming to live in the UK are contributing to the cost of their NHS healthcare. Temporary migrants…

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