Immigration Insights

SWITZERLAND: Government Extends “Safeguard Clause” Limiting Residence Permits for Bulgarian and Romanian Nationals

April 19, 2018

The Swiss Federal Council has decided to extend, for the year from 1 June 2018, the quota on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals (EU-2) of 996 long-term B permits, released quarterly.

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RUSSIA: Draft Law to Restrict Employment of Foreign Nationals Introduced

April 19, 2018

On 13th April 2018, a draft law was introduced to the Russian parliament, proposing new powers to ban or restrict the employment of nationals of the United States and/or other countries imposing sanctions on Russia.

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NIGERIA: Ministry of Interior Online Services May Cause Delays

April 18, 2018

On 7 May, the Federal Ministry of Interior (FMI) is expected to launch a new online service, covering all aspects of the operations and workflow of its Citizenship and Business (C&B) department, which is expected to slow down the issuance of the grant and renewal of expatriate quota applications.

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Going Global: Expand Your Business to Singapore

April 18, 2018

A look at the business climate and corporate immigration system of Singapore and evaluation of the opportunities for companies expanding internationally.

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SPAIN: New Document Criteria for Residence Card Applications in Madrid

April 17, 2018

Effective from now, a residence card applicant in Madrid whose passport does not bear an entry stamp from Spanish border control must submit a statement of entry (“Declaración de entrada”), the only acceptable alternative to an entry stamp as proof of entry for residence card applications in Madrid.

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KUWAIT: Restrictions for Foreign National Engineers, and Diploma Holders Under 30 Years Old

April 17, 2018

Effective immediately, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) requires engineers applying to renew or transfer their residence permits to present a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Kuwait Engineers Society (KES).

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BULGARIA: Amendments to the Labour Mobility Law

April 17, 2018

Effective 23rd May 2017, Bulgaria has passed amendments to the Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act.

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BRAZIL: Clarification of Procedure for Change of Status from Temporary to Permanent Residence Permit

April 17, 2018

The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Justice have issued a joint statement clarifying that applications for conversion of temporary residence into permanent residence permits must be submitted to the Ministry of Labour for processing, rather than the Ministry of Justice.

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CHILE: Post-arrival Temporary Residence Visa for Work Purposes to Be Discontinued

April 17, 2018

The Chilean Ministry of the Interior has announced that, effective 23 April 2018, it will discontinue the post-arrival temporary visa for work purposes, introduced in 2015.

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COLOMBIA: New Requirement for Minors Travelling by Air

April 17, 2018

Effective 26th April 2018, anyone travelling by air within or out of Colombia accompanied by a minor child of seven years or under must provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

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INDIA: E-Services Extended Nationally to All FRROs

April 16, 2018

Effective immediately, India’s Bureau of Immigration (BOI) has rolled out nationally its new e-FRRO system for online visa-related services.

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MOROCCO: Fewer Intra-Company Transfers Qualify for Exemption from Labour Market Testing

April 13, 2018

In the last few weeks, the Ministry of Labour in Morocco has tightened the qualifying criteria for the intra-company transfer work permit process.

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RUSSIA: New Notification Forms

April 12, 2018

Effective 20th April 2018, new forms will be introduced for notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the labour activity of foreign nationals.

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GHANA: New Employment Guidelines Released by Petroleum Commission

April 11, 2018

Effective 2nd June 2018. the Petroleum Commission (PC) has released new guidelines covering the employment of foreign nationals.

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Australian Immigration | What Does ‘De-Facto’ Actually Mean?

March 29, 2018

Have you ever wondered what the term ‘de facto’ partner actually means? Are you in a relationship with someone but you’re not really sure whether it can be called a de facto relationship? Newland Chase can give you a helping hand with this one.

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FROM AUSTRALIA WITH LOVE: Partner Visa Applications Simplified

February 14, 2018

You want to bring your spouse or partner with you to Australia. What goes into a successful Partner Visa application? A practical guide from one of Australia's leading specialty immigration firms. Key supporting documents and helpful tips for preparing your application.

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IRELAND: Irish Residence Permit Replaces GNIB Card

December 12, 2017

Effective 11th December 2017, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) has replaced the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card with a new registration card called the Irish Residence Permit (IRP). Current GNIB card holders should not apply for a new IRP until their GNIB card expires (or is lost or stolen). What has changed? For registration […]

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UK: Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules from 10th August 2017

July 26, 2017

The government has published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules made in order to comply with the Supreme Court judgment in MM (Lebanon) & Others. In February this year, the Supreme Court upheld the principle behind the Minimum Income threshold which requires a UK citizen or a settled person to demonstrate a minimum […]

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Going Global: 12 Best Countries to Expand Your Business Internationally

January 26, 2017

On December 21, Forbes magazine published its annual “Best Countries for Business” list for 2017, ranking the “business friendliness” of 139 countries based on 11 factors covering the legal and economic aspects impacting business. As Newland Chase prepares for the new year ahead, we reviewed this year’s list with interest and were encouraged to find […]

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SWITZERLAND: Free Movement Agreement Extended to Croatians

January 20, 2017

On 16th December 2016, The Swiss Government extended the free movement of people agreement to Croatia following parliament's approval of a law on European Union immigration and jobs; this came into effect on 1st January 2017. The announcement follows the…

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