Immigration Insights

December 23, 2020

On 31 December 2020, the UK departed the European Union. EU nationals arriving in the UK from this date will no longer benefit from the free movement rights and the ability to work freely in the UK.

December 23, 2020

Since March 2020, the Home Office has adjusted the Right To Work checks required by employers for new employees. Once the COVID-19 Right to Work measures come to an end, retrospective checks will need to follow the traditional Right to Work check requirements. However the Home Office has confirmed some changes regarding how an employer can conduct a check.

December 16, 2020

Effective 2 October 2020, companies registered with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) intending to apply for new or renewal employment permits for foreign workers are required to place an advertisement for the job vacancy for at least 30 days on the JobsMalaysia portal.

December 11, 2020

Switzerland and the United Kingdom have secured an agreement on services. The Service Mobility Agreement (SMA), which will be signed on 14 December 2020 and enter in to force from 1 January 2021, will be valid initially for two years.

December 10, 2020

Following our recent webinar, COVID-19 and Mobility: China Travel and Immigration Strategies, Newland Chase experts answer the most pressing questions on China business travel and immigration in the COVID-19 era.

December 3, 2020

The government has issued both the DOL wage rule and the DHS H-1B regulation as interim final rules, citing the COVID-19 public health emergency as rationale. This means they avoid the normal public comment and rulemaking process but are arguably more vulnerable to court challenges.

December 1, 2020

Effective 1 December 2020, the 2021 Projection of Expatriates for companies registered with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) is open for online submission.

December 1, 2020

Effective 1 January 2021, increased minimum gross annual salary levels for foreign employees have been announced for the Belgian regions of Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.

November 27, 2020

The Dutch immigration authorities (IND) have announced new minimum salary levels for knowledge migrant workers (aka Highly Skilled Migrants), graduates and Blue Card applicants coming to the Netherlands.

November 25, 2020

On 25 November 2020, the Federal Council of Switzerland announced that quotas will remain the same for new work permit applications submitted during the 2021 calendar year for non-European Union/European Free Trade Agreement (non-EU/EFTA) nationals (with a stay greater than four consecutive months/120 days per year) and service providers/seconded workers based in the EU/EFTA (also with a stay greater than four consecutive months/120 days per year).

November 24, 2020

On 19 November 2020 the UK government published updated guidance for employers on how to sponsor individuals on the new Worker (formerly Tier 2) and Temporary Worker (formerly Tier 5) immigration routes.

November 9, 2020

Large multinational corporations such as Facebook and Microsoft have recently announced company policy shifts allowing employees to work from home permanently. It is important that employers carefully review and evaluate potential implications from an immigration, tax, and employment law perspective when making this decision.

November 6, 2020

Through a newly formed alliance, Newland Chase and U.S. law firm Greenberg Traurig can support qualified travelers with assessing eligibility to travel to the United States. Contact us to learn how we can assist your foreign nationals who need to enter the U.S. during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 5, 2020

Employers engaging foreign labor in Russia have until 31 December 2020 to confirm the vaccination against measles of all the foreign nationals they currently employ.

October 23, 2020

On 22 October 2020, the UK government has published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, introducing the expected “Points-Based” Immigration System.

October 19, 2020

On 30 September 2020, the US Senate passed and the president signed H.R. 8337 to keep the US government operational until 11 December 2020, maintaining vital immigration programs such as the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program, E-Verify, Conrad 30 Waiver Program for J-1 medical doctors and non-minister religious workers programs.

October 14, 2020

The increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) from £400 to £624, will take effect on 27 October 2020. UK immigration applications submitted before 27 October will therefore be significantly cheaper.

October 14, 2020

The release of the 2020-21 Budget has revealed a number of planned changes to the Department of Home Affairs and the migration program, with significant changes to the General Skilled, Family, and Global Talent categories.

October 8, 2020

The Australian government has released new legislation on the Labor Market Testing (LMT) requirements for employer-sponsored visas.

October 1, 2020

2020 has been a year of change, challenge and uncharted territory for organisations everywhere. As the UK moves forward with its departure from the EU, employers must now prepare for further change – the introduction of new rules for EU nationals and a visa system to accommodate them.