The Canadian government announced it will not accept new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program in 2025.

Key Points:

  • The Parents and Grandparents Program allows sponsoring Canadian citizens or permanent residents to bring parents and grandparents to Canada as permanent residents.
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that no new permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications will be processed in 2025.
  • IRCC intends to process a maximum of 15,000 family sponsorship applications in 2025, and they will only process applications that were received in 2024 unless a new intake for the 2025 calendar year is implemented.

Additional Information: The measure aligns with the government’s 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan and strategy to reduce permanent resident targets over the next three years. The government is implementing new measures to reduce permanent resident targets to 395,000 in 2025.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 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.

As a reminder, the Marom Electronic Travel Authorization — Israel (ETA-IL) is now in effect, and all tourists and business travelers from visa-exempt countries must obtain an ETA-IL form approval before arriving in Israel.

Key Points:

  • As BAL reported, the Israeli Ministry of Interior postponed the launch of the new electronic travel authorization system to give individuals and companies more time to prepare.
  • Now in effect, the ETA-IL will be mandatory for all travelers from visa-exempt countries and will cost NIS 25 (about US$7) per visitor.

Additional Information: The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying. Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit, with multiple-entry capabilities.

The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval to eligible travelers.

The government is launching the new system to modernize its entry procedures and provide a more seamless travel experience for visitors. In addition, the new system will attempt to strengthen security measures while continuing to effectively facilitate legitimate travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 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.

Effective April 1, Israel’s minimum monthly salary will be updated to 6,248 NIS (about US$1,714) gross per month.

Key Points:

  • The new minimum monthly salary will apply to foreign nationals employed in short-term employment authorization programs, as well as to 2(a)(5) asylum and protection seekers and general B-1 visa holders.
  • Employers seeking to obtain or renew a work permit or who have a pending application on or after April 1 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.
  • The minimum monthly salary update is designed to help align wages with the rising cost of living.

Additional Information: The government also increased application processing fees for 2025, including raising the work permit submission fee to 1,390 NIS. Other notable fee increases include the B-1 work visa and multiple-entry visa rising to 200 NIS and the B-1 one-year employer fee increasing to 11,060 NIS.

Employers hiring foreign nationals must guarantee that their employees receive at least the updated minimum salary and should take the new increased minimum monthly salary and filing fees into account when planning their 2025 budgets.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 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.

Israeli officials announced the Marom Electronic Travel Authorization — Israel (ETA-IL) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Key Points:

  • As BAL reported, the Israeli Ministry of Interior postponed the launch of the new electronic travel authorization system to give individuals and companies more time to prepare.
  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit, with multiple-entry capabilities.
  • Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the ETA-IL will be mandatory for all travelers from visa-exempt countries and will cost NIS 25 (about US$26) per visitor.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval to eligible travelers.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the new system to modernize its entry procedures and provide a more seamless travel experience for visitors. In addition, the new system will attempt to strengthen security measures while continuing to effectively facilitate legitimate travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 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.

Israeli officials have announced that the new electronic travel authorization system (Marom ETA – IL) has been postponed to Jan. 2025.

Key Points:

  • As BAL previously reported, it was originally expected that the new system would be implemented Aug. 1.
  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the status is valid for up to two years, and allows for stays of up to 90 days maximum per visit with multiple entry capabilities.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the system to modernize its entry procedures while also strengthening security measures.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 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.

Israeli officials announced that its new electronic travel authorization system (Marom ETA-IL) will be implemented as of Aug. 1.

Key Points:

  • The system is designed to streamline the entry process for visa-waiver nationals seeking short-term visits for purposes other than work, volunteering or studying.
  • Once approved, the multiple-entry status is valid for up to two years and allows for stays of up to 90 days per visit.

Additional Information: The online portal will still require individuals to obtain approval prior to their travel and does not replace the discretion of border control officials. Applications must be submitted electronically at least 72 hours before the expected entry date. The system is designed to provide instant approval.

BAL Analysis: The government is launching the system to modernize its entry procedures while also strengthening security measures.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 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.

Israeli officials have announced that foreign employees in the non-expert category within the industry sector now have until April 14 to submit their work permit applications.

Key Points:

  • The deadline was previously March 21, and was extended again to March 31. The submission deadline has now been confirmed for April 14, and the Ministry of Interior will not accept any applications for work permits in this category after April 14.
  • Employers must have already received a recommendation from the Ministry of Economy and Welfare to apply.

BAL Analysis: The government extended the visas of all foreign workers in the hotel sector only until March 31, 2024. The government also granted a three-month extension to the work licenses for all foreign workers in the domestic nursing and agriculture sectors. An automatic extension for any other foreign worker visa category has not been announced. As such, in the absence of clear government guidelines, clients should consider options carefully and employers should be aware of the expiration dates for their respective employment permits.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 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.

 

 

Effective April 1, Israel’s minimum monthly salary will be updated to 5,880 NIS (about US$1,600) gross per month.

Key Points:

• The new minimum monthly salary will apply to foreign nationals employed in short-term employment authorization programs, as well as to 2(a)(5) asylum and protection seekers and general B-1 visa holders.

• Employers seeking to obtain or renew a work permit or who have a pending application on or after April 1 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.

• The minimum monthly salary update is designed to help align wages with the rising cost of living.

BAL Analysis: Employers hiring foreign nationals must guarantee that their employees receive at least the updated minimum salary. Businesses may see an increase in labor costs because of the new minimum wage. Employers should take the new minimum monthly salary into account when planning their 2024 budgets.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2024 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.

Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority announced it would extend the validity of some visas due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Key Points:

  • Visas that are due to expire in the coming three months will automatically be extended to at least Feb. 8, 2024.
  • Israeli officials clarified that the extension does not include B/1 foreign worker visas. It does apply to all other visas in Israel, including immigration visas, the four types of long-term A visas and the limited-stay B/2 visitor’s visa.
  • Travel is still severely disrupted due to ongoing hostilities, and many flights to and from Israel have been canceled. Immigration offices in Israel remain closed to the public and visa services are not available in Israel at this time.

‌BAL Analysis: The situation in Israel remains volatile, and immigration and travel rules may change with little or no notice. BAL will continue following developments and will provide updates as information becomes available.

‌This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

‌Copyright © 2023 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.

Israeli nationals are now eligible for visa-free travel to the United States. Europe officially postpones its travel authorization program. And U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposes big changes to the H-1B lottery.

‌Get this news and more in the new episode of BAL’s podcast, the BAL Immigration Report, available on Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts or on the BAL news site.

‌This alert has been provided by the BAL US Practice Group.

‌Copyright © 2023 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.