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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that qualifying Forms I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, issued on or after Nov. 1, 2023, can be used indefinitely as proof of health. Key Points: New guidance states that any
The Mexican government announced that Peruvian nationals arriving for tourism or business will soon require a Mexican visa to enter the country. Key Points: Beginning April 20, Peruvian nationals must have a visa to enter Mexico for tourism or business purposes unless they: Have a
Canadian officials released a statement on finalized provincial and territorial allocations for the 2024 cap on international student permit applications. Key Points: The national cap on study permit applications addressing the rapid increase of international students in Canada was first
USCIS released a new fact sheet with data spanning fiscal years 2016-2024 that shows the progress made in reducing processing times. Key Points: According to the data, median processing times were significantly lower in the first six months of the 2024 fiscal year than in the
The Home Office provided further details on eVisa implementation and the minimum salary increase for skilled worker visas is now in effect. Key Points: Immigration officials provided additional information on the transition to the U.K. Visas and Immigration eVisa digital immigration system. The new eVisa will replace biometric residence permits, biometric
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,
Canadian officials announced fee increases for all permanent residency applications, effective April 30. Key Points: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will increase permanent residence application fees, including: Right of permanent residence — 575 Canadian dollars — about US$423 (up from CA$515) Federal skilled, provincial nominee program,
The U.S. Embassy in India recently announced new measures to consolidate B1/B2 interview waiver appointments. Key Points: B1/B2 interview waiver appointments have been consolidated in New Delhi beginning last month, March 2024. Due to consolidation, interview waiver appointments for visitor visas in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and
U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services announced a temporary final rule Thursday increasing the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization documents to up to 540 days. Key Points: A previous temporary final rule increasing the automatic extension period of some EADs
Irish officials announced that Immigration Service Delivery will now have the primary responsibility of managing initial registrations and renewals for Irish immigration residence permits. Key Points: Effective April 8, first-time registration and renewals of Irish immigration residence permissions for applicants based in counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath
Irish officials announced that Stamp 1 CSEP holders or Stamp 1H permission holders are now eligible for a Stamp 4 upgrade upon completion of 21 months from the date of commencement of employment. Key Points: As BAL previously reported, Immigration Delivery
The Australian government has begun the rollout of certain policies announced as part of the migration strategy. Key Points: As BAL previously reported, the Australian government released the latest migration strategy outlining key actions and new policy commitments to overhaul the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services revised Form N-400 to provide a third gender option, “X.” Key Points: “X” is defined as “another gender identity.” The April 1 edition of Form N-400 will be the first USCIS form to include the X gender option, which will be
Danish immigration authorities released the updated income statistics that will apply to applications submitted after April 1. Key Points: An applicant’s salary and terms of employment must correspond to Danish standards to be granted a residence and work permit for both first-time and extension applications. Danish
The German government announced the passage of a new act modernizing German citizenship law, which will go into effect in June. Key Points: The new act reduces the minimum period of residence required for naturalization to five years. Previously, an individual had to live in Germany
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has opened the 90-day filing period for petitioners whose registrations were selected in this year’s H-1B lottery. Key Points: The H-1B registration period closed Monday, March 25, and USCIS subsequently completed the random selection process for the H-1B master’s and general cap. The
The Taiwanese government announced several changes to immigration policy, effective March 1. Key Points: Foreign nationals may now apply for an extension of their visitor visa at the National Immigration Agency for a fee of 300 New Taiwan dollars (about US$9.39), provided that they were originally
The cost of running an immigration program at a U.S. company just went up — a lot. On Jan. 31, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a final regulation to raise immigration filing fees — and high-skilled categories saw some of the biggest increases. On April 1, the fee for an
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is now accepting H-1B petitions for cap-subject visas. The U.S. Embassy in India moves to streamline appointments. And why now is a good time for U.S. employers to rethink immigration strategies. Get this news and more in the new
It’s that time of year again for employers planning to secure nonimmigrant talent. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted the H-1B lottery last week to determine which registrations will be eligible to file petitions. Although the data on this year’s lottery selection rates is not yet available, the good news is