Immigration Insights

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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…

January 20, 2017

From 23rd December 2016, certain changes were made to supporting document requirements for both ÒDesignated WorkerÓ visas (temporary visas for assignees) and residence visas for locally hired foreign workers. Designated Worker Visa Employers preparing assignment letters for foreign national employees assigned to Peru must now request a duration of stay not exceeding the duration of the service agreement with the local Peruvian host company. Previously, the requested duration of assignment could exceed the duration of the service agreement. The maximum duration of an assignment remains one year. Local-Hire Work Visa For authentication of the employment contract of a foreign national hired locally by a Peruvian company, if the contract is signed by an individual other than the General Manager, the immigration authorities will now accept a notarised affidavit that the signatory is a legal representative of the company and has the authority to sign the contract on behalf of the employer. Previously, the Peruvian immigration office required a legalised copy of the power of attorney (ÒVigencia de PoderÓ) of the legal representative. No authentication document is required if the contract is signed by the General Manager of the Peruvian Company. Our advice Employers sending foreign nationals on assignment to Peru should ensure that hey request a duration of stay which does not exceed the duration of the service agreement with the Peruvian host company. Peruvian employers hiring foreign national workers should ensure that an employment contract signed by anyone other than the General Manager is supported by an affidavit that the signatory is a legal representative of the company, rather than by a power of attorney. For further information on Peruvian immigration, please contact us at [email protected].

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…

January 20, 2017

From 23rd December 2016, certain changes were made to supporting document requirements for both ÒDesignated WorkerÓ visas (temporary visas for assignees) and residence visas for locally hired foreign workers. Designated Worker Visa Employers preparing assignment letters for foreign national employees assigned to Peru must now request a duration of stay not exceeding the duration of the service agreement with the local Peruvian host company. Previously, the requested duration of assignment could exceed the duration of the service agreement. The maximum duration of an assignment remains one year. Local-Hire Work Visa For authentication of the employment contract of a foreign national hired locally by a Peruvian company, if the contract is signed by an individual other than the General Manager, the immigration authorities will now accept a notarised affidavit that the signatory is a legal representative of the company and has the authority to sign the contract on behalf of the employer. Previously, the Peruvian immigration office required a legalised copy of the power of attorney (ÒVigencia de PoderÓ) of the legal representative. No authentication document is required if the contract is signed by the General Manager of the Peruvian Company. Our advice Employers sending foreign nationals on assignment to Peru should ensure that hey request a duration of stay which does not exceed the duration of the service agreement with the Peruvian host company. Peruvian employers hiring foreign national workers should ensure that an employment contract signed by anyone other than the General Manager is supported by an affidavit that the signatory is a legal representative of the company, rather than by a power of attorney. For further information on Peruvian immigration, please contact us at [email protected].

January 11, 2017

Deadline Imminent for Submitting Annual Returns of Foreign Workers All Ghanaian companies that employ foreign national workers must submit an annual return by the deadline of 14th January 2017. The return must state names and addresses of all foreign nationals…

January 11, 2017

A new bill proposing changes to the H1B visa programme has been re-introduced in the US Congress. This bill supports one of the key changes that President-elect Donald Trump had announced during his campaign to curb “abuse” of H1B visas, with the aim…

December 27, 2016

It is largely publicised in the US that President-elect Trump and his new administration will not only focus on illegal immigration, but also on legal business immigration. The President-elect cannot change the existing immigration laws without Congressional action; however, he will have the ability to change certain policies or executive orders without the involvement of Congress.

December 23, 2016

At this stage it is impossible to predict how the rights of UK nationals living in remaining EU states will be affected, as UK policy towards EU nationals and the terms of the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement – once agreed – will impact EU immigration policy towards UK nationals.

December 23, 2016

Continuing with our series on immigration through investment, the Singapore Global Investor Programme appears as a highly attractive option for those looking to relocate to Asia. Investors interested in starting up businesses or investing in Singapore can apply for the Singapore Permanent Residence status through this Investor Programme.

December 23, 2016

In this latest article for our series on immigration through investment, we are discussing the Cyprus Citizenship by Investment Programme. This investment programme allows for a straightforward route to obtaining Cypriot citizenship, which can be a preferable option to permanent/temporary residency. This programme has been significantly modified in September 2016.

December 22, 2016

In 2013 the Spanish government enacted a law which, amongst other things, drastically altered the Spanish immigration system. The Spanish Entrepreneur’s Act was one of the measures designed to assist with the recovery of the economy. As a consequence, apart from accelerating the immigration routes for highly-qualified professionals and researchers, it introduced several types of residence permits through investment options.