Immigration Insights

Newland Chase Wins Award for Pandemic Partnership and Support

January 15, 2021

Newland Chase is proud to win NEI’s 2020 Above and Beyond Award for its COVID-19 Travel and Immigration Guide and associated resources. The award recognizes NEI’s global partners that went above and beyond providing service exceeding expectations. Newland Chase was one of only two companies to win this award this year. Newland Chase’s comprehensive COVID-19 […]

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Top 10 Global Immigration Updates | Week of 11 January 2021

January 15, 2021

Top 10 Global Immigration Updates including news from China, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Russia, Qatar, the U.S., and Vietnam.

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Brexit: EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) | Impact in the EU

January 13, 2021

After nearly 11 months of negotiations, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was approved on 24 December 2020 and is currently being applied provisionally until full ratification.

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UNITED KINGDOM: COVID-19 Concession Scheme

January 12, 2021

The Home Office has published guidance on a new Concession scheme for individuals whose leave has expired whilst the applicant was outside the UK and unable to return due to the ongoing pandemic.

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Business Visitors After Brexit Webinar Q&A | Immigration Impacts Explained [UPDATED 8 January 2021]

January 8, 2021

Following our recent webinar, Business Visitors After Brexit: Immigration Impacts Explained, Newland Chase experts answer the most pressing questions on UK and EU immigration post-Brexit.

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MALAYSIA: New Job Advertising Requirement for Employment Permit Applications [UPDATED 5 January 2021]

January 5, 2021

Effective 1 January 2021 (postponed from 1 November 2020), all companies (including those registered both with ESD and with MDEC) 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 at the MYFutureJobs portal.

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UNITED KINGDOM: Updates for Those Who Have Applied for a Worker Visa

December 23, 2020

During the current pandemic, the Home Office confirmed that applicants who are waiting for a decision on certain work visas can start work before such leave has been granted. However, the Home Office has now confirmed when this policy will end.

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UNITED KINGDOM: Updates for Visa Holders Affected by COVID-19

December 23, 2020

Following recent pandemic developments, the Home Office has confirmed that visa holders who intend to leave the UK but have not been able to do so and have a visa, or have leave that expires between 1 December 2020 and 31 January 2021, may request additional time to stay, known as ‘exceptional assurance’.

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UNITED KINGDOM: Changes to Sponsorship Guidance on Record Keeping

December 23, 2020

The UK Home Office has recently adjusted the guidance which advises sponsors on the documentation they must keep for their sponsored employees.

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UNITED KINGDOM: Right to Work Checks on EU Nationals Following Brexit

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.

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UNITED KINGDOM: COVID-19 Right To Work Guidance Changes

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.

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MALAYSIA: New Job Advertising Requirement for ESD Employment Permit Applications

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.

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BREXIT: Switzerland and UK Conclude Agreement on Mobility of Service Suppliers

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.

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COVID-19 and Mobility Webinar Q&A Report | China Travel and Immigration Strategies

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.

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UNITED STATES: Two New Interim Final Rules Restrict H-1B Work Visas [UPDATED 3 December 2020]

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.

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MALAYSIA: Foreign Knowledge Worker Projections Open for Submission

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.

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BELGIUM: Increased Minimum Salary Thresholds for 2021 [UPDATED 1 December 2020]

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.

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NETHERLANDS: New Minimum Salary Levels for 2021

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.

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SWITZERLAND: Quotas for 2021

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).

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UNITED KINGDOM: Changes to Sponsorship Guidance for Employers

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.

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