Category: Immigration Insights

October 30, 2017

Effective immediately, companies in Saudi Arabia will have to utilise their block visas more quickly in order to hire foreign employees. The Saudi Ministry of Labor has announced that it is reducing the validity period of its block visas from two years to one year. Thus, companies now have just one year to recruit and […]

October 30, 2017

In this week’s edition, we announce that employers can pay to attain the required Saudization category in Saudi Arabia and a new online system has been launched for work permits and visas in Thailand.  We also bring you immigration news from UAE, Oman and the United States.

October 27, 2017

Effective 17th November 2017, employers must provide their foreign workers’ mobile phone numbers when completing the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM’s) Online Foreign Worker Address Service (OFWAS) prior to issuing or renewing their Work Permits. This change in requirements applies only to Work Permit holders. Requirements and processes for Employment Passes and S Passes are remaining […]

October 27, 2017

Ongoing since 5th October, the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Immigration Service Department (ISD) in Tanzania is conducting an audit of the residence status of all foreign nationals in the country. The deadline by which foreign nationals and their employers in Tanzania are required to verify the foreign national’s residence status is 4th November. Foreign employees […]

October 24, 2017

Effective by the end of October 2017, Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior (MOI) authorities will begin requiring foreign nationals to submit their original university degrees when filing applications for renewal of their Iqama residency permits. Initially, this requirement will apply only to holders of university degrees, but will be applied in the future to holders of […]

October 23, 2017

In this week’s edition, we bring you news of a trial visa exemption for entry to Taiwan for qualifying Philippine nationals. Plus, the post-arrival temporary residence application process in Costa Rica has been relaxed. We also bring you immigration news from the US, Guatemala and Russia.  

October 21, 2017

Law no. 102/2017 of 28th August 2017 transposes into Portuguese law European Union (EU) Directive 2014/66 “on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer” by introducing a new residence permit category for intra-corporate transfer (ICT). This new law also adopts into Portuguese law Directive 2014/36/EU on […]

October 21, 2017

Effective 20th October 2017, fast-track applicants for residence cards and número de extranjero (NIE) certificates at the central police station located at San Felipe in Madrid are no longer able to make appointments in advance. Instead, officers will provide application numbers to the first 30 applicants to attend each day. Foreign nationals who do not receive […]

October 19, 2017

Effective 17th October 2017, Chinese nationals can enter Panama with a consular Stamped Visa, and no longer require an Authorized Visa. Stamped Visas are normally processed in under one week, while Authorized Visas can take up to 60 days to process, with more scrutiny by the immigration authorities. Chinese nationals can still qualify for a […]

October 18, 2017

Effective 1st November 2017, qualifying Philippine nationals can travel to Taiwan visa-free for stays of up to 14 days, for tourism, business, visiting relatives, or attending functions or events. The visa waiver scheme will run for an initial nine-month trial period, until 31st July 2018. Those who intend to stay in Taiwan for more than […]