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The Irish government has signed the Employment Permits Act 2024 into law, bringing new changes to the employment permit system. Key Points: The new act, signed into law on June 25, aims to consolidate and modernize existing law on the employment permit system within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The U.S. State Department released the August Visa Bulletin, showing that most key employment categories remained the same, with only India advancing under EB-2 and EB-3. Final Action Dates Movement: EB-1 China EB-1 will remain the same. India EB-1 will remain the same. All other countries under
The Australian government announced an increase in visa application fees for most visa subclasses, effective July 1. Key Points: The updated fee schedule has been published; fees increased to reflect the cost of processing applications. Each year, indexation is applied to application fees based on the consumer price index. The new
The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from Sept. 4, 2024, through Mar. 3, 2026. Key Points: Existing Yemen nationals who wish to extend their TPS status through March 3, 2026, must re-register during
South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs extended the temporary concession for certain visa and waiver applications to Dec. 31, 2024. Key Points: Under the previous extension, individuals with pending visa or waiver applications were permitted to stay in South Africa through June 30, 2024. Individuals with
Danish immigration authorities published the new Positive Lists for professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. Key Points: The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) publishes the Positive Lists of professions where there is a regional or national shortage of qualified professionals. Individuals who have been offered
The Labor Department has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests. PERM Processing Times: As of July 1, the department was adjudicating applications filed in June 2023 and earlier, conducting audit reviews on applications filed in December
The Philippine government has created a new online system for tourists who wish to extend their stay beyond the initial period granted on their tourist visa. Key Points: The authorized maximum period of stay granted for all temporary visitor visas is 59 days. Generally, an individual with a 9a entry visa
The Australian government extended the grace period for job transitions for holders of certain skill visas. Key Points: As BAL previously reported, the Australian government released a migration strategy outlining key actions and new policy commitments to overhaul the current migration system. Officials are updating visa
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, overruling the Chevron case precedent that was the issue before the court. The majority opinion held that, “he Administrative Procedure Act requires courts to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed district court decisions ordering the Department of State to reserve and adjudicate diversity visa cases from the DV-2020 and DV-2021 program years. Key Points: The D.C. appellate court issued its opinion on June 25,
The Hong Kong government announced that Hong Kong identity cards issued before Nov. 26, 2018, will be invalidated in two phases in 2025. Key Points: Phase I cards will become invalid on May 12, 2025, for individuals born in or after 1970, and Phase II cards
The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension and redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from Aug. 4, 2024, to Feb. 3, 2026. Key Points: Haitian nationals who have been continuously residing in the U.S. since June 3, 2024, and continuously physically
Netherlands authorities implemented new EU Blue Card regulations to transpose the new Directive into national law. Key Points: The EU Blue Card Directive establishes the conditions of entry and residence of highly qualified non-EU nationals in 25 EU countries. The European Union
The European Council announced an extension of the temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2026. Key Points: The temporary protection mechanism was originally enacted on March 4, 2022, and was due to expire on March 4, 2025. The extension does not change the qualification
The American Immigration Council (AIC) recently published a special report, The Expanding Role of H-2A Workers in U.S. Agriculture, analyzing U.S. Department of Labor data to show increasing reliance on certified H-2A workers in American food production. Key Points: The H-2A visa program (a.k.a. the
The Australian government released details on the ballot initiative for the Work and Holiday program for Mainland China, India and Vietnam. Key Points: The government will implement a visa pre-application ballot process in the 2024-2025 program year for these high-demand countries later in 2024. The registration fee will be AUD25 and
The Supreme Court rules in a visa denial case involving a U.S. citizen and her non-immigrant spouse. An American Immigration Council report reveals increasing reliance on H-2A workers. BAL’s Steven Plastrik breaks down the results from our election survey. Get these insights and more