Immigration Insights

FRANCE: Decree to Extend Rights of Posted Workers from July 2020

December 12, 2019

Ministerial order 2019-116 of 20 February 2019,  which will come into effect on 30 July 2020, transposes into French law European Directive 2018/957 of 28 June 2018, extending the employment rights of posted (seconded) workers.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Ministry of Labor Cancels Yellow Nitaqat Band

December 12, 2019

Effective 26 January 2020, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MLSD) has announced it will cancel the yellow band in its Saudization programme, Nitaqat. 

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SWITZERLAND: Reminder that Job Advertisement Threshold to Change from January 2020

December 11, 2019

Effective 1 January 2020, employers wishing to hire foreign nationals for occupations with an unemployment rate of 5% or above will have to test the Swiss labor market by advertising.

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UNITED STATES: Electronic Registration Required for Upcoming H-1B Cap Season

December 10, 2019

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will implement its new electronic registration process for H-1B applications for the upcoming H-1B lottery.

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ARGENTINA: Police Clearance Certificates Required for Certain Visas

December 10, 2019

Holders of 30-day Technical visas or Technical visas valid for 30 days who apply to renew the visa for a sixth time must now submit police clearance certificates from their country of origin and/or all countries where they have lived during the previous three years.

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Global Immigration Weekly Roundup – 9 December 2019

December 9, 2019

The latest global immigration news and insights in your weekly newsletter from Newland Chase.

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KUWAIT: New Business Visit Visa Regulations Extended to All Nationalities

December 5, 2019

In an attempt to crack down on forged degree certificates submitted in support of business (commercial) visit visa applications, the Kuwait Ministry of Interior has introduced new regulations for all nationalities.

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CANADA: Biometrics Now Required for Certain In-Canada Applications

December 5, 2019

Applicants within Canada for work permit, study permit and visa extensions, as well as for permanent residence, must now give their biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at a designated Service Canada location.

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VIETNAM: Upcoming New Labour Code and Amendments to Immigration Law

December 5, 2019

Amendments to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam will come into effect on 1 July 2020.

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MALAYSIA: MDEC Foreign Knowledge Worker Projection for 2020 Opens 3 December 2019

December 3, 2019

MSC/ICT status companies who are registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) can start to apply for their 2020 Foreign Knowledge Worker (FKW) projection for Employment Passes from 3 December 2018.

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NETHERLANDS: New Minimum Salary Levels for 2020

December 3, 2019

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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SOUTH KOREA: Visa Invitations and Extensions Limited for Companies with Unpaid Tax

December 3, 2019

The Korean immigration authorities have introduced a new regulation rejecting applications for visa issuance confirmation numbers (VICN) and Alien Registration Card (ARC) extensions if the inviting company has any amount of arrears for any type of tax.

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NETHERLANDS: Changes to IN Amsterdam Service Fees for 2020

December 3, 2019

The IN Amsterdam service centre in the Netherlands has announced changes to its fee schedule for 2020.

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BELGIUM: Increased Minimum Salary Thresholds for 2020

December 3, 2019

Effective 1 January 2020, minimum gross annual salary levels for foreign employees will be increased in the three Belgian regions.

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SOUTH KOREA: Work Experience Requirement Relaxed for E7 Visa Applications

December 2, 2019

Applicants for an E7 visa in Korea whose university diploma is not related to the job position in the Korean company only need to demonstrate three years of related work experience, rather than five years as previously required.

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SPAIN: New Requirements for Assignment Letter for Intra-Company Transfer Permit Applications

December 2, 2019

Effective immediately, the immigration authorities have established new requirements for assignment letters in support of all intra-company transfer permit applications, both those under EU Directive 2014/66 and those under the Spanish Entrepreneur’s Law.

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Global Immigration Weekly Roundup – 2 December 2019

December 2, 2019

The latest global immigration news and insights in your weekly newsletter from Newland Chase.

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COLOMBIA: New Entry and Stay Regulations

November 29, 2019

Effective 1 December 2019, Resolution 3167 of 2019 establishes new guidelines for the entry into, stay in and departure from Colombia of both Colombian and foreign nationals.

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SWITZERLAND: New Quotas for 2020

November 28, 2019

The Federal Council of Switzerland has announced that quotas will remain the same for new work permit applications submitted during the 2020 calendar year for certain groups.

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AUSTRALIA: Skilled Occupation List Review

November 28, 2019

On 26 November 2019, Newland Chase met with two representatives from the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, regarding the upcoming changes to the skilled occupation lists used by Immigration.

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