UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has released further information about its upcoming new Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UK VACS). While the Home Office promises a more streamlined, intuitive process, implementation delays are likely, and applicants considered higher risk are likely to be subject to stricter scrutiny.
Read more here:
Regulatory Decree no. 9/2018, published on 11 September 2018, took effect on 1 October 2018.
As well as implementing the 2017 amendments to the immigration law which transposed certain EU Directives into Portuguese law (see our previous alert here, the decree seeks to simplify visa application and residence permit procedures and to reduce processing times.
Read more here:
PORTUGAL – Visa and Residence Procedures Simplified
Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) now requires BOI-promoted companies applying for work permits or long-term visas at the Bangkok One-Stop Service Centre (OSSC), or in Chiang Mai or Phuket, to submit applications via its new Single Window online system for streamlined initial and renewal work permit and visa applications.
The implementation date was brought forward from 2 October 2018 to 31 July 2018. In all other provinces, applications must still be made with hardcopy supporting documents and old-style work permit booklets will still be issued.
Read more here:
Between 23 July and 31 August 2018, the Ministry of Interior will migrate its business permit and expatriate quota records to a new online portal called eCitBiz.
All affected companies should update their records and migrate to the new platform by 31 August 2018.
Read more here:
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has recently implemented several changes to immigration rules and procedures.
Partners and dependent children can now make their visa applications online; the minimum income threshold has been updated for those sponsoring dependents in several categories, including certain Essential Skills visa holders; and INZ will no longer place physical visa labels in passports.
Read more here:
The Department of Immigration Services (DIS) is currently piloting a new digital Biometric Foreigner Registration (BFR) process alongside the existing manual biometric registration system for Foreign Nationals Certificate (“Alien Card”) applications.
Read more here:
Effective 28 March 2018, the Emergency Decree on Managing the Work of Foreign nationals (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018) introduced some important changes to the immigration and employment rules for foreign nationals.
The decree also reduces the severe and complex penalties on non-compliant employers and foreign national employees imposed by Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 (2017).
Read more here:
