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IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? Around the beginning of October, countries with majority or large Muslim populations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia will shut down for periods ranging from two to nine days in observance of Eid al-Adha.
What does the change mean? Companies and foreign nationals seeking government services should submit applications now to avoid delays caused by the holiday break.
Background: Holiday schedules will vary by region and country. The United Arab Emirates announced its public sector will close approximately Oct. 5-9, although precise dates have not been announced.
Several countries in Asia, including Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, where the holiday is also called Hari Raya Haji, have announced government closures on Oct. 6. India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Offices in Mumbai and Delhi will be closed Oct. 2-6.
Eid al-Adha, or “Feast of the Sacrifice,” is a Muslim holiday celebrating the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. It also commemorates the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of obedience to God (Allah). Some countries do not confirm the exact dates until the lunar moon is sighted. The holiday, which falls on the 10th day of the lunar month, is expected to fall on Oct. 4 or 5. Other countries use astronomical calculations and fix the date in advance.
BAL Analysis: Companies and foreign employees and assignees should check with their BAL attorney for local schedules that could impact urgent filings. Note that the holiday will also close private sector offices, but for shorter periods.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
What is the change? The U.S. has implemented the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), mandating new reporting requirements for Americans living abroad.
What does the change mean? U.S. nationals living abroad must disclose foreign accounts that meet certain thresholds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually or face steep fines and penalties.
Background: FATCA is a U.S. law with broad scope that aims to reduce tax evasion by U.S. taxpayers with foreign accounts or assets. More than 80 countries, including Canada, China and, most recently, Russia, have agreed to implement the law. Under FATCA, foreign financial institutions must disclose the names and account information of U.S. citizens with accounts of more than $50,000 to the IRS. Thresholds are higher for U.S. citizens living abroad, generally $200,000 to $400,00, and vary depending on whether they are filing a joint or single return. Foreign financial institutions that fail to comply will incur a 30-percent withholding tax on U.S.-based income. Individuals who violate FATCA also face monetary penalties. A list of countries that have agreed to comply with FATCA can be found here on the U.S. Treasury’s website.
BAL Analysis: FATCA has an unprecedented global reach on U.S. taxpayers, especially American citizens residing abroad, regardless of time spent in the U.S. American expatriates should seek advice from tax experts on reporting obligations under FATCA.
What is the change? The Eid holiday at the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan will close many government and private offices throughout the world for two to 10 days, depending on local schedules.
What does the change mean? Companies should expect delays of one week or more in processing.
Background: Eid, a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, is expected to fall on or around July 27, depending on moon sightings. Many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa will observe national holidays for a minimum of two days and up to 10 days.
BAL Analysis: The closures of government offices will likely shut down all processing during the week of July 28 to Aug. 1. Some private offices will also be closed.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in the United Arab Emirates. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
Several countries have relaxed or tightened visa rules for certain visitors recently, including the following:
Ireland. Venezuelan nationals are now required to obtain a visa before traveling to Ireland, and if planning to work in Ireland they must obtain an employment permit before applying for a visa. Ireland does not have a mission in Venezuela. The Irish Embassy in Mexico City has jurisdiction over applicants who live in Venezuela.
Ireland/UK. The two governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom have announced the “British Irish Visa Scheme,” which will allow nationals of China and India to travel for business or tourism to the two European countries on a single visa. The program is planned to begin this fall.
Italy. Restrictions have been eased for Chinese nationals seeking Italian business and tourist visas. Starting July 1, the Italian Embassy in Beijing and its consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou are issuing visas to Chinese visitors within 36 hours. In addition, Chinese nationals may now apply for Italian visas at the consulates that are closest to their places of residence instead of at the consulates that are closest to their household registration, which is often farther away. (This does not apply to foreign citizens, Chinese nationals living abroad or applicants for family reunion or work visas.)
Kazakhstan. As reported earlier, Kazakhstan announced plans to launch a one-year pilot project July 15 to provide visa-free travel for citizens of 10 countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Kenya. The Department of Immigration Services has issued a directive that all South African nationals obtain visas prior to visiting Kenya for tourism or business. All South African nationals wishing to travel to Kenya are advised to obtain a visa from the Kenyan High Commission in their country of residence.
Saudi Arabia. A new visa center for eight Schengen Area countries plus Canada opened in Jeddah on May 27. The center is operated jointly by VFS Global and al-Etimad Business Solutions Co. and provides visa processing services for Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network providers. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
What is the change? The Muslim month of Ramadan beginning at the end of June will reduce operating hours of many offices across the Middle East and parts of Asia and Africa.
What does the change mean? Government offices in some regions will operate at half schedules during the month, with Friday hours in particular being shorter than normal. Check with local offices for specific dates and hours of operation.
Background: The month of Ramadan is based on local moon sightings or predictions, so dates vary from country to country; but the lunar month is estimated to begin around June 29 and end around July 27.
BAL Analysis: Companies should allow more time for processing and plan for longer timelines during the month in countries that observe Ramadan. Also note that the Eid holiday immediately following Ramadan will completely close offices in Muslim countries for three to 10 days, depending on local holiday schedules.
IMPACT – Medium
What is the change? The U.K. and Ireland will waive visas for Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
What does the change mean? Nationals of these three countries can travel visa-free to the U.K. and to Ireland for up to six months by obtaining an electronic visa waiver document online.
Background: The U.K. announced the visa waiver program for four Persian Gulf countries last month. The U.K. implemented the electronic visa waiver (EVW) on Jan. 1, 2014, for three of the countries – Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. The fourth country, Kuwait, is expected to be phased in later this year.
The EVW is an online document that must be completed at least 48 hours before travel. It is available for visits lasting up to six months. Those applying to work or study cannot avail themselves of the EVW, and must apply for a visa. Nationals of the above countries also qualify for the Irish Short-Stay Visa Waiver program as long as they present their EVW when entering Ireland.
BAL Analysis: The visa waiver will boost tourist and business travel from Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to the U.K. and Ireland by making it faster and cheaper and eliminating normal visa procedures.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.
Telephone, email and web scams targeting immigrants have spiked in the past year.
Immigration authorities in Europe, Asia, Australia and the U.S. have warned foreigners about fraudulent calls.
Last week, several universities in the U.K. reported that some international students received suspicious calls from individuals posing as immigration officers from the U.K. Home Office. In France, police are investigating ongoing telephone fraud in which callers demand that foreign nationals pay immigration fees to complete their paperwork.
Such occurrences are becoming more commonplace worldwide, and even savvy travelers should be vigilant. In October, BAL reported telephone scams targeting foreigners in Ireland and New Zealand. In the United States, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently warned about a scam luring foreign investors to buy securities to qualify for an investor visa. Earlier in the year, BAL reported that individuals posing as USCIS officers targeted foreign employees in the U.S. The callers asked for passport and alien numbers, claimed that their documents contained errors and demanded money to fix them. Callers can seem legitimate because they often possess pieces of personal identifying information about their victims, such as home address, birth date and application numbers. Immigration agencies are warning travelers and foreign residents that this information is easy to find online.
In some cases, telephone scammers have “spoofed” their calls so the number that appears on the recipient’s caller ID or mobile phone appear to come from a government agency. Earlier this year, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority alerted the public about suspicious calls appearing to originate from their hotline. In these calls, scammers asked for payment to fix supposed mistakes on travelers’ embarkation/debarkation cards. In another incident, Singapore’s labor ministry recently warned employers and workers not to use a fake copy-cat website.
Immigration officials have recently issued reminders, emphasizing that they do not call customers to collect payment for immigration fees over the phone and that people who receive calls like this should not give out personal details or pay any money.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.
IMPACT – Low
What is new? Immigration authorities in Ireland and New Zealand are warning foreign nationals about phone scams in which callers pose as immigration officials.
Background: The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) warned last month that some visa applicants had been contacted by callers purporting to be from the agency, seeking payment of 500 euros. The callers quoted the agency’s helpline number and other official publications. The INIS reminded customers that it does not contact applicants by phone for payment of application fees.
“Applicants are asked to be vigilant. Do not give details of your immigration application to telephone callers unless you are sure who they are. If someone demands payment of a fine, contact INIS and the [police],” the INIS warned on its website.
Also, New Zealand’s immigration agency posted a warning on Oct. 30 on its website about recent scam phone calls. The callers claim that the recipient has a problem with his or her visa or arrival card information and demand monetary payment. The agency noted that the callers can appear to be legitimate because they often have some details about the individual, such as name, date of birth or address, and in some cases the callers reference application numbers that are fake.
BAL analysis: Foreign workers should be aware of the fraudulent calls and should not give out personal information or details to callers unless their identity is certain.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Ireland. For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.
In the past month, four regional trade blocs announced plans to move forward with the creation of unified visa regimes modeled on the success of Europe’s Schengen Zone. Although the plans are initially focused on tourism, the unified visas could allow business travelers to visit multiple countries on one business trip. A summary of recent events in each region follows:
Southeast Asia
The five countries of the Mekong River Delta began talks to create a unified tourist visa. The common visa would allow seamless travel between Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
East Africa
The leaders of five East African Community nations agreed to pursue a unified tourist visa at a summit in Kenya. The participating countries are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda.
Southern Africa
The 15 countries of the Southern African Development Community recommitted themselves to the plan for a unified visa. Member nations are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Persian Gulf
Several regional newspapers reported that the six member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council may introduce a unified visa as early as 2014. Participating countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The plans are likely to encounter bureaucratic obstacles, and it may take years before the proposed unified visas are implemented. However, the trend may prove valuable for employers who have business interests in these regions.
For additional information on global immigration matters, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.
The violence in Cairo this week has prompted at least five nations to close their embassies and other nations to issue travel warnings urging their citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Egypt. In addition, the Philippine government has ceased deployment of its nationals to work in Egypt, and the Malaysian government has prepared a plan to evacuate its 3,300 students in Egypt if necessary.
On Aug. 14, the Egyptian government declared a state of emergency for one month due to the violent and unstable political situation that has resulted in the death of more than 500 people and injured more than 3,700. During the state of emergency, a curfew is imposed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The following foreign missions in Cairo are among those currently closed:
BAL will provide updates on the situation as it affects immigration. For additional information on Egyptian immigration matters, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.