Category: Immigration Insights

June 26, 2017

The Department of Labour in Hanoi has confirmed that the new online system for the submission of job position approval, new work permit, work permit re-issuance and work permit exemption applications, which has been in testing since April will be fully implemented and mandatory from 1st July 2017. Furthermore, the requirement for the company to authenticate all […]

June 26, 2017

From 1st August 2017, Singapore will be included under Australia’s Work and Holiday Visa program. In addition, Australia will introduce a six-year multiple-entry visa to citizens of Singapore for business and tourism purposes from 1st January 2018. These new measures were announced at the recent Singapore-Australian Leader’s Summit by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and […]

June 23, 2017

The Bureau of Immigration has announced that, effective immediately, foreign nationals wishing to cancel their Alien Certificate of Registration I-Cards (ACR I-Cards) are first required to downgrade their visa to a 9(a) temporary visitor visa. Previously, the requirement to downgrade the visa to a 9(a) temporary visitor visa was not strictly enforced. Who is Affected? […]

June 23, 2017

In December 2016 it was first announced by the Saudi government that, to help boost the countries revenues amid weak oil prices, they were to introduce an “expat levy” which would start on  1st July.  It is important for us to stress that the Saudi government have yet to release further details of the levy since […]

June 22, 2017

The deadlines are approaching for companies submitting standard work permit quota applications for hiring visa-required foreign nationals in 2018, and for quota adjustment. Applying for a quota is not required for hiring highly qualified specialists (HQS). Quota Application Deadlines The deadline for submitting quota applications for 2018 is 26th June 2017 in Moscow and 15th […]

June 19, 2017

In this week’s edition, we advise that the Canadian Government has implemented a Global Skills Strategy, and Brazil has published a new immigration law. We also bring you the latest immigration news from the US, Panama and Italy.

June 14, 2017

Effective November 2017, a new Brazilian immigration law (Lei 13445/2017, published 25th May 2017) will replace the Foreigner Statute law (Law No. 6815/1980). The new law has a humanitarian approach and aims to reduce the bureaucracy and fight the criminalisation of immigration non-compliance. Note that implementing regulations will have to be published before the impact […]

June 14, 2017

On 12th June 2017, the Canadian government implemented its Global Skills Strategy (GSS), and provided further details of the two-year pilot program. Two-week work permit processing is available for certain highly skilled occupations under the Global Talent Stream (GTS) or the International Mobility Program (IMP). The Global Skills Strategy also encompasses two new work permit […]

June 14, 2017

On 3rd May 2017, the Department of State requested the right to collect additional information from certain visa applicants worldwide from the Office of Budget and Management. The new information collection powers were quietly implemented on 23rd May 2017. Background The State Department estimates that 0.5% of visa applicants worldwide – about 65,000 individuals per year – present a […]

June 14, 2017

Effective 31st May 2017, Panama has reduced the duration of stay of visitors who are nationals of Colombia, Nicaragua and Venezuela to 90 days (from 180 days previously). Nationals of these three countries are allowed to visit Panama visa-free for tourism and for certain business activities. Individuals from said nationalities who have entered the national […]