Effective 1 November 2017, qualifying Philippine nationals can travel to Taiwan visa-free for stays of up to 14 days, for tourism, business, visiting relatives, or attending functions or events. The visa waiver scheme will run for an initial nine-month trial period, until 31 July 2018.
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TAIWAN – Philippine Nationals Visa-Exempt from 1 November 2017
Effective 2 October 2017, permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau, who live in one of 27 designated locations can apply for one-year or three-year multiple-entry permits for Taiwan online, rather than in person at the Taipei Representative Office.
Previously, only a single-entry permit to Taiwan was available through the online platform. Obtaining a visa upon arrival in Taiwan remains an option.
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TAIWAN – Permanent Residents of Hong Kong and Macau Can Now Obtain Multiple-Entry Permit Online
Effective October 2017, Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), alongside the Immigration Bureau (IMM) and the Department of Employment (DOE), has launched a new online system for streamlined initial and renewal work permit and visa applications.
The so-called Single Window System will replace the current hardcopy work permit booklet with a new digital work permit, allow applicants to book immigration appointments online, and require fewer supporting documents to be provided in hardcopy.
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Effective 1 January 2018, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will raise the salary threshold for work pass holders to qualify for dependent privileges.
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SINGAPORE – Higher Salary Threshold for Dependent Privileges from January 2018
The Shanghai Foreign Expert Bureau is now accepting work permit applications from applicants classified as either Category A or B, and holding an M (business) or L (tourist) entry visa, rather than a Z (work) visa.
Note that Category B applicants risk their M or L entry visa expiring while their work permit application is being processed, and they may not be able to extend their entry visa without leaving China.
This simplified process avoids the six to eight weeks usually required to obtain a Notification Letter of Work Permit and a Z (work) visa before travelling to China (compared to about one week for an M or L visa), and may allow the applicant to start work more quickly.
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CHINA – Expedited Work Permit Process in Shanghai May Benefit Some Foreign Workers
This news alert was prepared using information provided by Shanghai Foreign Service (Group), Pro-Link Global China and Asia Pacific Access.Effective 3 July 2017, the Thai Board of Investment (BOI) has established a new Strategic Talent Centre (STC) to help Thai and foreign companies that are seeking to recruit highly skilled Thai and foreign specialists in the fields of science and technology to support their businesses in Thailand.
The STC is available to all private companies, regardless of whether they are registered with the BOI. Moreover, non-BOI companies using the STC are entitled to be exempt from the 4:1 ratio of local Thai employees to foreign employees.
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Companies who are registered with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) can start to apply for their 2018 projection for Employment Passes and Professional Visit Passes from 1 October 2017.
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