by Frank Alvarado | Feb 26, 2020 | Global
Summary of the Issue – After much lobbying, the Belgian government is taking actions to reform the single permit application process with the goal of improving processing timeframes. Implemented on January 1, 2019, the single permit application allows non-EU employees...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 21, 2020 | Global
As of 2020, The Migration Directorate (MD) had announced on its website that it would not consider renewals of Touristic Residence Permits (RP) that had been issued for one year. According to reports, there may be possible discretionary actions to limit applicability...
by James Pinedo | Feb 20, 2020 | Investor Visas
By: Joseph Barnett Mr. Charlie Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division within the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”), recently noted that the Final Action Date (“FAD”) for China employment-based first-preference (“EB-1”) will become current...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 19, 2020 | Global
Quota for engaging foreign labour in 2020 is approved. The Russian government has approved the quota for engaging foreign labor in 2020, set at 104,993 foreign nationals, a decrease from 2019, when the quota was 144,583. Croatia—simplification of visa formalities. The...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 19, 2020 | Global
It’s happened: The United Kingdom (UK) officially left the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020. Now what? What does this mean for people moving to and from the UK? Nothing for now. We are in a transition period until at least December 31, 2020. During the...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 17, 2020 | Global
Summary of the Issue: An agreement with the Republic of Tajikistan regarding organized recruitment of Tajik citizens for temporary work in Russia has been ratified. Federal law has ratified an agreement between the governments of the Russian Federation and the...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 13, 2020 | Global
The Republic of Turkey has released updated minimum salary requirements for 2020. As of January 1, 2020, the amounts are: Gross minimum monthly wage: 2.943,00 Turkish Lira Net minimum monthly wage: 2.324,70 Turkish Lira * 1 TL = 0.17 $USD (approx. January 2020) Aside...
by James Pinedo | Feb 13, 2020 | Investor Visas
On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed its version of H.R. 1044, the “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020.” The Senate version of the bill now returns to the U.S. House of Representatives. If the Senate version passes in the House and is signed into...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 13, 2020 | Global
Summary of the Issue: In recent times, there has been much confusion with respect to the renewal of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards. Airlines have on many occasions not allowed passengers to board flights to India if their OCI cards were not renewed when...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 11, 2020 | Global
Colombian Nationality for Venezuelan Minors In accordance with the provisions of article 96 of the Colombian Constitution, nationals by birth are nationals of Colombia when the father or mother was a Colombian citizen or national or, being the child of foreign...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 10, 2020 | Global
Overview of the Epidemic: The spread of the coronavirus spread continues, as do containment efforts worldwide. The virus has now killed more people than the SARS epidemic, with more than 800 fatalities in China and more than 37,000 cases reported worldwide, most in...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 10, 2020 | Global
The number of overall planned permanent admissions to Canada for 2020 is 340,000 people (just under one percent of the population of Canada). Of the 340,000 Canada is planning to admit, 21,000 are in the parent and grandparent sponsorship category. On December 30,...
by James Pinedo | Feb 6, 2020 | Investor Visas
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has added a new section to its Policy Manual directing immigration officers to strictly enforce existing law on the inadmissibility of any intending immigrant who is a member or affiliate of the Communist...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 4, 2020 | Global
Summary: Québec attestations are now required for permanent immigrant applicants. The Québec government says knowledge of the values it reflects is essential to an immigrant’s integration into the province. The five key principals underlying the attestation are...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 4, 2020 | Global
Summary: Belgium has announced 2020 gross salary thresholds. The gross salary thresholds for work and single permits are updated every year. The salary thresholds vary by region (Brussels, Flanders, or Wallonia) and by category of employee (e.g., highly skilled...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 4, 2020 | Global
Overview: Italian Immigration law provides for different kinds of work permits for highly skilled workers assigned to work temporarily in Italy. Under these options, workers do not become local employees but maintain an employment relationship with the home country...
by Frank Alvarado | Feb 4, 2020 | Global
Visa Length: The Indian employment visa allows for short-term employment for an organization registered in India for a duration of generally one year. Foreign technicians are eligible for a five-year employment visa. Highly skilled foreign personnel being employed in...
by James Pinedo | Jan 30, 2020 | Investor Visas
By: Bernard Wolfsdorf and Joseph Barnett Communist party membership issues are becoming more common in visa cases. Our firm has seen an increase in scrutiny by U.S. consulates on this issue. It is important to focus on this issue with...
by James Pinedo | Jan 20, 2020 | Investor Visas
By: Joseph Barnett Reports from China indicate that the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou has recently increased immigrant visa denials based on INA Section 212(a)(3)(D) related to membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), despite the fact that such...
by James Pinedo | Jan 10, 2020 | Investor Visas
As part of a continued chilling of relations between the United States and China under the Trump administration, on December 4, 2020, the Department of State announced several new restrictions on Chinese Communist Party members, including: New rules limiting the...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 30, 2019 | Global
Short Term Assignment Update The Israeli Ministry of Interior advised that all short-term assignments will be limited to not more than 90 days within a 180 day period. The short-term visa categories affected by this change are the following: Short Expert...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 26, 2019 | Global
The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill, paving the way for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union on January 31, 2020, has been passed by the new UK Parliament. Although the Bill will now be subjected to further scrutiny in Parliament, the government is intent on...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 25, 2019 | Global
Foreign nationals who qualify for Category A (highly-skilled workers) of the unified work permit system and who are seeking employment with a company in Shanghai registered with the Expert Bureau in the municipal talent center of MeiYuan Road can now apply for a work...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 24, 2019 | Global
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will introduce a new permanent residence pilot program, entitled the Regional Immigration Pilot, in early 2020, which will set aside 150 nominations for permanent residence in the Employer Job Offer stream for foreign...
by Frank Alvarado | Dec 24, 2019 | Global
This article discusses Brexit-related practical tips for United Kingdom (UK) nationals traveling to the European Union (EU). The issues that UK national employees who travel to the EU as business visitors after a no-deal outcome will need to consider are: 1.Check...
