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Finnish authorities announced that decision-making on certain residence permit applications will be paused Jan. 1-8, 2025. Key Points: The decision-making pause will specifically impact initial and extension residence permits for employed persons and seasonal work where the permit period is at least six months. Officials advised
The Philippine government is in the process of implementing a new e-Visa system, most recently expanding e-Visa capabilities for applicants for temporary visitor visas (9a visa) in India. Key Points: The Department of Foreign Affairs, through its Philippine Embassy and consulates in India, has implemented the
The Australian government announced a new scheme for graduates and early career professionals from India’s top universities. Key Points: The new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) visa allows eligible Indian nationals to live and work in Australia for up to two years. The application
The Department of Homeland Security announced the countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs for the next year. Key Points: DHS published a Federal Register notice listing the countries whose nationals are eligible for
The Canadian government announced new regulations impacting the International Student Program have now taken effect. Key Points: As BAL reported, officials announced new rules in May for international students who work off campus, waiving the 20-hour-per-week limit on the number of hours
The Vietnamese government has announced its mandatory semiannual reporting deadline for foreign nationals will be Jan. 5, 2025. Key Points: Employers must report their use of foreign workers to Vietnamese authorities by Jan. 5, 2025. The report must include the use of foreign workers from Dec. 15, 2023, to Dec. 14,
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it plans to make nearly 65,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Key Points: DHS, in consultation with the Department of Labor, expects to make an additional 64,716 H-2B visas available for FY
Spanish immigration authorities announced new criteria to obtain permits regulated by the Entrepreneur’s Act. Key Points: The new requirements will be applied to permits regulated by the Entrepreneur’s Act 14/2013, in relation to the qualification accreditation either through academic credentials or comparable experience. The new requirements
The U.S. State Department released the December Visa Bulletin. Filings for employment-based preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart for December 2024 which will remain the same as last month and shows no advancement for EB-1/EB-2/EB-3. Final Action Dates for India EB-2/EB-3 show
The Canadian government announced the opening of a new border crossing facility in Sainte-Aurélie. Key Points: The new modernized facilities at the Sainte-Aurélie border crossing are now in service. The new facilities are part of the Land Border Crossing Project, which
Japanese authorities announced that more eligible foreign nationals who wish to travel to Japan for tourism for a short-term period can now apply for an electronic visa (eVISA). Key Points: As BAL reported, the new eVISA system was introduced in July
The Canadian government has closed the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) programs as of Nov. 8. Key Points: The SDS was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students. Eligible SDS and NSE applications received before 2 p.m. ET
The Hong Kong government announced measures to enhance the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS). Key Points: The government recently released its Policy Address announcing reforms of various aspects of certain talent admission regimes, specifically
In this week’s episode, BAL’s Edward Rios and Christopher Barnett discuss AI implementation and adoption in the global mobility arena. Plus, the latest immigration news including an update on litigation against the Keeping Families Together program. This podcast has been provided
The O-1A visa is a nonimmigrant work visa for individuals who are considered experts in the fields of science, business, education or athletics. Unlike the H-1B visa, a common route for highly skilled foreign nationals, the O-1A visa can be filed at any time during the fiscal
The 2024-25 winter holiday travel season is expected to be one of the busiest on record, with an estimated 790 million people traveling internationally. In addition to key reminders like checking passport and visa validity expiration dates, the following are recommendations from BAL’s Global and Consular Program and Government