This Week’s Immigration News

China and various other countries have implemented restrictions on entry and exit, visa and work permit issuance, closed ports, tightened quarantine rules and taken other measures in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. These restrictions may affect international business travel and assignment plans.

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The UK government has released more details of its proposed new ‘points-based’ system for employment immigration routes, due to take effect from 1 January 2021, under which free movement will end and EU nationals will be covered by the same rules as non-EU nationals.

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On 4 February 2020, the government of Nigeria launched the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 (NVP 2020).

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Effective immediately, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Foreign National Unit (FNU) has begun requiring authorized agents such as consultancy and law firms to present a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) for the processing of Special Non-Immigrant 47(a)(2) Visa applications and related transactions.

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Effective immediately, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) has published a new occupation list of permitted occupations and, relatedly, introduced new rules for work permit renewals.

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Effective 24 February 2020, Korean consulates will begin to phase out the stamping of visas into passports.

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

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The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has accepted the recommendation of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) to relax and broaden the conditions for holders of Subclass 417 and 462 Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas to allow them to assist in the recovery efforts following the recent bushfires, without breaching visa conditions.

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

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By Jason Rogers, J.D., VP & Global Immigration Counsel, and Kent O’Neil, J.D.

We often note the passing of years – and particularly decades – with fanfare and a bit of introspection. In a greater sense, the flip of the calendar from 2019 to 2020 is more an artificial demarcation. When it comes to the international business environment, 2020 will present us with much of the same opportunities and challenges that 2019 did. Nevertheless, it is always prudent to periodically assess where we stand and where we’re going.

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By Jason Rogers, J.D., VP & Global Immigration Counsel, and Kent O’Neil, J.D.

We often note the passing of years – and particularly decades – with fanfare and a bit of introspection. In a greater sense, the flip of the calendar from 2019 to 2020 is more an artificial demarcation. When it comes to the international business environment, 2020 will present us with much of the same opportunities and challenges that 2019 did. Nevertheless, it is always prudent to periodically assess where we stand and where we’re going.

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By Jason Rogers, J.D., VP & Global Immigration Counsel, and Kent O’Neil, J.D.

We often note the passing of years – and particularly decades – with fanfare and a bit of introspection. In a greater sense, the flip of the calendar from 2019 to 2020 is more an artificial demarcation. When it comes to the international business environment, 2020 will present us with much of the same opportunities and challenges that 2019 did. Nevertheless, it is always prudent to periodically assess where we stand and where we’re going.

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A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) final rule expanding the types of public assistance that could cause foreign nationals to become ineligible for permanent residence and other immigration benefits took effect on 30 January 2020.

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By Jason Rogers, J.D., VP & Global Immigration Counsel, and Kent O’Neil, J.D.

We often note the passing of years – and particularly decades – with fanfare and a bit of introspection. In a greater sense, the flip of the calendar from 2019 to 2020 is more an artificial demarcation. When it comes to the international business environment, 2020 will present us with much of the same opportunities and challenges that 2019 did. Nevertheless, it is always prudent to periodically assess where we stand and where we’re going.

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The US president has signed a proclamation imposing new, tailored visa restrictions on six more countries that have failed to meet a series of security criteria. The countries in question are Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania.

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

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How Did We Get Here?

On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum asking voters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland if they wanted to remain a member of, or to leave, the European Union. 51.89% of UK voters voted to leave the EU.

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Effective immediately, initial applications for Special 47(a)(2) Non-Immigrant Visas for principal applicants by Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered enterprises under the functional supervision of Zone Office National Capital Region (NCR) require a personal appearance by the applicant.

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The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) – the Home Office appointed independent immigration advisory body – has published its report, responding to the government’s request to consider how a points-based system (PBS) could be introduced in the UK, and to review salary thresholds for immigration.

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The UK Government has announced that the Global Talent route, a visa scheme for top scientists, researchers and mathematicians, will open on 20 February 2020.

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

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The government has introduced new requirements for the notification of residence, which is submitted annually by holders of temporary residence permits (TRPs) and permanent residence permits (PRPs).

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The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has issued a reminder that a Foreign Knowledge Worker or dependent who holds a valid employment pass or dependent pass and obtains a new passport should urgently complete a Transfer of Endorsement (TOE) to the new passport.

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Effective 9 January 2020, the minimum required salary for highly-skilled workers applying for an EU Blue Card has increased to RON 10,858 from RON 10,326.

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

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By Dan King, Senior Researcher, Newland Chase and Kent O’Neil

In 2019, Newland Chase published 327 alerts, blogs, and weekly roundups of significant immigration news and insights for HR, global mobility, immigration, and business travel professionals.

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Due to a systems error in December 2019, the processing of immigration applications in South Korea is currently delayed by one to three weeks. The delay is expected to continue into February 2020.

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Effective 1 January 2020, new and generally lower residence permit fees have been introduced, and the number of different residence permit tariffs has been reduced.

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In January 2020, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore has strengthened its Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) for greater deterrence against workplace discrimination.

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