Month: December 2015

QATAR: New Immigration Law

December 23, 2015

New Immigration Laws in Qatar are being put forward in order to regulate the entry, exit and residency of expatriates in the region. Whilst there is no fixed implementation date for these policy changes as of yet, reports suggest that…

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UK: Changes to Immigration Rules and Guidance

December 23, 2015

Recent months have seen a flurry of changes to the rules and guidance issued by the Home Office. Therefore we have put together a quick summary of some significant changes that might be useful as we approach the New Year.…

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SWITZERLAND: Federal Government Reach Deal with Brussels over Immigration

December 21, 2015

Switzerland"s immigration policy is currently under review as a deal regarding restrictions of migrants from within the European Union is reportedly close to completion. Last year, Swiss voters approved immigration quotas on EU citizens despite the fact that this goes…

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CANADA: eTA to Expand Eligible Nationalities

December 21, 2015

The Canadian government has announced, as part of their Economic Action Plan that from 15th March 2016, visa exempted nationals (other than US Nationals) will need an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) to transit or visit Canada. Other low-risk travellers from…

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IRELAND: Minimum Wage Increase and Immigration Offices Opening Hours

December 21, 2015

Minimum wage increased With effect from 1st January 2016, the statutory minimum wage in Ireland for an adult will increase from €8.65 per hour to €9.15 per hour. Immigration Offices Christmas and New Year Opening Hours: Visa office The visa office will…

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FURTHER UPDATE: Additional Compliance Changes For Tier 2 Sponsor Licence Holders

December 18, 2015

As we have previously outlined, in November 2015 the Home Office made a number of changes to the compliance regime for Tier 2 sponsor licence holders. The sponsor licence guidance sets out the rules that each sponsor must follow in…

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What Happens when you Leave Sponsored Employment in the UK?

December 18, 2015

Many Tier 2 sponsored workers have concerns regarding the exact steps to be taken should their employment under Tier 2 Sponsorship cease earlier than expected. In the first instance your UK sponsor is required to notify UK Visas and Immigration...

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AUSTRALIA: New Entrepreneur Visa, China, Australia Agreement and Temporary Workers

December 17, 2015

Visa Reforms to Attract and Retain Innovative Talent The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, has announced that a new Entrepreneur visa will be introduced in the second half of 2016. The Entrepreneur visa is…

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USA: Strengthened Visa Waiver Legislation Passed

December 16, 2015

The House of Representatives in the US has voted to bring in new restrictions relating to the visa waiver program following the Paris attacks. The White House-backed bill was proposed because the Paris attackers could have travelled to the US without…

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KAZAKHSTAN: Changes to Regional Work Permit Rules

December 14, 2015

New rules have been enforced this year which will see changes to regional work permit procedures and to hiring processes for first category employees. The changes, which began to be implemented in September, meant that foreign workers can no longer…

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