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Canadian officials announced the launch of CAN Work Philippines, a pilot program for eligible Canadian employers recruiting in the Philippines. Key Points: • Eligible Canadian employers can schedule group appointments for medical examinations and biometrics for potential employees as part of the new streamlined process. • The pilot is open to Canadian employers
Immigration authorities announced they have reinstated the issuance of i-KAD cards for Employment Pass holders, effective Oct. 24. Key Points: The Expatriate Services Division is now issuing i-KAD cards for Employment Pass holders, as well as Resident Pass holders and their dependents under the talent category. Applicants whose endorsement payments were
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) announced that a “rolling” calculation will now be used to monitor residence under the short-term track. Key Points: • Within the Fast Track Scheme, the short-term track grants a residence and work permit valid for up to 90 days. • These 90 days can
Swedish immigration authorities advised that work permits now must meet more stringent conditions. Key Points: As part of the new work permit model announced in May, Standard Industrial Classification (SNI) codes, which specify the field(s) of industry a business operates in, and the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK) codes, which
The Swiss Federal Council announced protection status S will remain in place for Ukrainian refugees until March 2025. Key Points: • Government officials originally granted protection status S to Ukrainian refugees in March 2022, citing the ongoing conflict with Russia and the need to offer temporary protection to those in need. • An
Immigration New Zealand confirmed that employers can no longer use 90-day trial periods in employment agreements when hiring foreign nationals on an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Key Points: • Immigration officials will decline or request updated information if an AEWV job check application includes an employment agreement with a trial period. • The
Federal lawmakers agreed to a short-term spending measure that will fund government through early next year, averting a shutdown that would have impacted some immigration functions. Key Points: The Senate voted in favor of a
The Canadian government has announced its projected immigration numbers for the next three years. Key Points: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada plans to accept 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 500,000 in 2025 and 500,000 in 2026. The targets for economic migration programs are
The federal government will enter a government shutdown if Congress cannot agree on an appropriations bill or short-term spending measure by the end of the day on Friday, Nov. 17. While many immigration services are funded by filing fees and may not be directly affected, some would come to a halt,
The Italian government has published new rules governing how foreign nationals can obtain an EU Blue Card as of Nov. 17. Key Points: The European Union issued a directive in 2021 that updated the existing EU Blue Card process, and Italy’s new rules are intended to comply with that directive.
The Thai cabinet approved a new policy that allows Indian and Taiwanese tourists to enter Thailand for 30 days without a visa. Key Points: The Ministry of Interior published the official announcement in The Royal Gazette on Nov. 9 The new policy will be in effect from Nov. 10, 2023, to
The State Department has released the December Visa Bulletin, showing no movement in key employment-based categories. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed it would use the Dates for Filing chart to determine employment-based filing eligibility for adjustment of status. December Visa Bulletin: Dates for Filing for Employment-Based Preference Cases
The Department of Homeland Security has published lists of countries whose nationals will be eligible for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in the upcoming year. Key Points: The lists are mostly unchanged from last year, with one addition, Bolivia, to both lists. All nationals who were eligible for the
The Labor Department has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests. PERM Processing: As of Oct. 31, the department was adjudicating applications filed in December 2022 and earlier, conducting audit reviews on applications filed in July 2022 and earlier, and reviewing
The State Department updated current passport processing times, showing reduced wait times for both routine and expedited services. Key Points: As of Nov. 6, processing times are now seven to 10 weeks for routine applications and three to five weeks for expedited applications, according to the department. Travelers must have
The Biden administration announced plans to issue an additional 64,716 H-2B visas this fiscal year. Key Points: The supplemental visas will come on top of the 66,000 H-2B visas available under the regular H-2B cap. The additional 64,716 visas is the maximum supplemental allocation allowed under federal appropriations legislation. Of
Sixty companies and trade associations, including BAL, urged congressional leaders to enact a bipartisan, permanent legislative solution for Dreamers, saying they “make essential contributions” to the U.S. economy. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has protected and provided work authorization to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, faces continued
Australian officials have announced the proposed expansion of the permanent residence pathway for temporary skill shortage subclass 482 visa holders will begin Nov. 25. Key Points: Government officials previously announced they would reform parts of the skilled migration program specifically under the employer-sponsored temporary skill shortage visa subclass 482 short-term
Lawmakers reach a deal to avert a government shutdown. The government publishes a regulation on additional H-2B visas. And a new report estimates the economic cost of the U.S. green card backlog. Get this news and more in the new episode of BAL’s podcast,
The business community shows support for Dreamers. The Biden administration announces additional H-2B visas. And more on the role immigration could play in the development of AI in the United States. Get this news and more in the new episode of BAL’s